COLUMBUS — Gov. Ted Strickland signed into law Tuesday revisions to Ohio’s concealed carry law, easing restrictions on permit holders and legally shifting the presumption of innocence to someone who uses deadly force against an intruder.
Termed “Ohio’s Castle Doctrine,” Senate Bill 184 provides legal assurances that a person who opens fire on a potential attacker or intruder, whether to protect his home, property, or another person on his property, is presumed to be acting in self-defense, provided the attacker “is in the process of entering or has entered, unlawfully and without privilege to do so, the residence or vehicle occupied by the person using the defensive force.”
State Rep. Thom Collier and District Sen. Bill Harris both voted for the bill. According to the law, the new provisions of the bill will go into effect in 90 days.
Among the castle doctrine provisions, the new law will allow concealed carry permit holders to carry their weapons into Class D liquor stores, specifically carry-out or package stores such as Kroger or Wal-Mart. Firearms are still banned in bars and restaurants. The law also authorizes a permit holder to carry a gun in drop off/pick up areas in school safety zones, government and private parking garages, as well as government shelters (rest stops). Permit holders are also authorized to keep an unloaded gun in the center console or glove box of their vehicle.
Spearheaded by the Buckeye Firearms Association and backed by the National Rifle Association, the bill passed the Senate 25-7 and through the House 73-25.
Gerard Valentino, a regional director of the BFA, told the News that “people should understand that it’s not an issue of pushing gun rights.”
“The issue strictly has to do with making a law that people can understand,” he said.
Detractors of the bill, such as sheriffs, prosecutors and police, raised objections to the provisions of the law authorizing the keeping of weapons in vehicles; county prosecutors across the state argued against the presumption of self-defense language.
