A bill in the Ohio state legislature would ban the enforcement of federal gun laws within the Buckeye State by state and local law enforcement.
The Enact the Second Amendment Preservation Act, or House Bill 51, is currently being considered by the state assembly’s Government Oversight Committee.
The bill was introduced by state Reps. Mike Loychik (R) and Jean Schmidt (R).
The bill states in part that “The general assembly of the state of Ohio is firmly resolved to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against every aggression, whether foreign or domestic.”
The bill’s authors stated that Ohio had the constitutional authority for the bill due to the powers “affirmed under the Tenth Amendment.”
A backer of the bill, state Rep. Jean Schmidt (R) stated that the bill is “straightforward” and would “ensure Ohioans’ Second Amendment rights.”
Ohio lawmakers are currently debating a bill that would block state law enforcement officers from enforcing more restrictive federal gun regulations.
The bill is similar to a Missouri bill that was recently ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge. https://t.co/FQknOjLGRh
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 18, 2023
The representative referenced the recent efforts by the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) helped spark the changes, and cited an ATF ruling that barred stabilizing braces for firearms.
Schmidt said that the bill “helps to stand against these unlawful rules by ensuring that Ohio gun law is the standard for those who reside in Ohio.”
According to the text of the bill, state and local officials could not enforce federal regulation of firearms. Police and prosecutors would be barred from enforcing such federal laws and policies. Furthermore, local governments could not hire federal officials to enforce Washington’s gun policies.
The law reads in part, “No law enforcement officer shall have the authority to enforce or attempt to enforce any federal acts, laws, executive orders, administrative orders, rules, regulations, statutes, or ordinances infringing on the right to keep and bear arms as described under this section.”
The potential Ohio law follows similar efforts by states to prevent what many critics refer to as infringements of the Second Amendment. A number of states and counties across the country have declared themselves Second Amendment sanctuary locations, including Texas and Arizona.
