Ohio lawmakers start lame duck by easing access to sawed-off shotguns
COLUMBUS — Ohioans would no longer be required to register sawed-off shotguns, short-barreled rifles, and firearm suppressors under legislation approved by the Ohio General Assembly Tuesday. The Ohio House passed Senate Bill 214 by a vote of 68-27, and the Ohio Senate concurred with House amendments 21-9. The bill removes suppressors and sawed-off firearms from the “dangerous ordnance” classification under state law. State Sen. Kyle Koehler (R., Springfield), the sponsor of S.B. 214, said people buying these items would still be required to pass a federal background check. “This bill simply aligns federal regulations with state law,” Mr. Koehler said, noting they are not anything more than a standard firearm. “It is not a dangerous ordnance. It’s not a missile, it’s not a torpedo, it’s not nitroglycerine,” he said. “It is a gun, and it should go through the same process that we use today to buy a firearm.” State Rep. Kellie Deeter (R., Norwalk) said the legislation is long overdue. “For many of my constituents, these are not abstract legal classifications,” she said. “There are practical implications for how they exercise their Second Amendment rights.” For example, Ms. Deeter said suppressors are often used as a gun-safety feature. “They
