AMGOA Staff
Pennsylvania


Posts: 1,427

A mistake in writing up an Ohio bill could inadvertently ban several types of already legal guns and must be fixed quickly, gun rights advocates say.

At issue is legislation approved by lawmakers last year that allows off-duty police officers to carry firearms and phases in preemption of many local firearms restrictions, among other changes.

The bill also attempted to align Ohio law with federal law regarding short-barrel weapons, or generally speaking shotguns with barrel lengths less than 16 inches.

Such guns are legal under federal law but classified as illegal in Ohio, even though many gun stores sell them. As the bill was being drafted, a misplaced paragraph unintentionally lumped a variety of long guns into a prohibited category.

Those could include semi-automatic AK-47s and any long gun with a pistol grip, which could also affect shotguns used in competitive shooting.

It's unclear if the mistake would cause gun owners problems in "real-world terms," said Dean Rieck, executive director of the gun rights group Buckeye Firearms, who said who said he's consulted with lawyers for the National Rifle Association and Ohio's Legislative Services Commission, among others.

Nevertheless, "We would prefer they deal with it immediately because it is causing a lot of concern and confusion among gun owners in Ohio," Rieck said.

https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/ohio-lawmakers-studying-error-that-could-ban-some-guns/1789369643