Ohio appeals Cincinnati's stricter gun laws

Ohio continues to challenge laws enacted by the its third-largest city that establish stricter gun regulations than state law.

In January, Cincinnati filed a lawsuit against the state to require gun owners to keep guns locked after passing a safe storage ordinance. In September, the city won an injunction against the law that prevents cities from establishing stricter gun laws than the state.

The state’s appeal sits before the First District Court of Appeals.

Cincinnati established two gun control laws earlier this year. One prevents people convicted of domestic violence from owning a gun and the other requires safe storage of firearms in homes with children.

A Columbus-based policy group recently filed an amicus brief, siding with the state and asking the court to reaffirm the constitutionality of the state’s preemption law, which it says protects the Second Amendment Rights of Ohioans.

Ohio Supreme Court upheld that law in 2010 in a case filed by Cleveland.

“Yet again, officials in one of Ohio’s largest cities are attempting to address a rise in violent crime by limiting the constitutional rights of law-abiding Ohioans,” David C. Tryon, director of litigation at The Buckeye Institute, said. “While violent crime is certainly a problem that cities must address, it is irrelevant to whether Ohio’s preemption law is constitutional. Furthermore, trying to overturn the law—which the Ohio Supreme Court found to be constitutional – to enact unconstitutional firearms ordinances will not reduce crime.”

Earlier this month, Senate Democrats introduced four bills that deal with giving up individual gun rights, prohibiting people with domestic violence convictions from possessing a gun and giving tax breaks to gun owners for safe storage practices.

“Gun violence is out of control across our state and country, with nearly 80% of all homicides and over half of suicides involving a gun,” Sen. Hearcel Craig, D-Columbus, said. “These situations are preventable, but only if we have the courage to act. We believe we’re offering a balanced and thoughtful approach to a very serious problem. This package of legislation is intended to build bipartisan consensus around proposals that have been proven to reduce gun violence and deaths.”