As a gun owner, gun rights supporters, and gun voter in Ohio, I insist that you take every opportunity to block, stop, and vote NO on HB383 from Representative Kyle Koehler, including any attempt to amend the underlying policy into another bill! This is an attempt for House Republicans to call themselves ‘tough on crime’ but nothing can be further from the truth. You see, Koehler and many others in the House think that by increasing the penalties for merely having a firearm while under a weapons disability, this will solve the violent crime problem in Ohio. Not a chance. They say that Ohio has an epidemic of violent criminals that get released and just cause mass murder and chaos in our cities. Even if that is true, why don’t you actually work to lock away criminals for their violent crimes in the first place! Better yet, pass bills that are proven to stop violent crime by enhancing our lacking self-defense laws and fix Constitutional Carry, so gun owners like me can carry all our self-defense tools with us in our vehicles! Ask yourself these questions: Why are they released so soon back onto the streets? Why weren’t they punished accordingly in the first place? But it seems like your caucus would rather punish the existence of an inanimate object, incapable of committing any crime on its own, instead. Punish the criminal for their violent act, not an object. Please publicly denounce, block HB383 from consideration every chance you get, and vote NO on the bill should it come up for a vote. This includes any other bill that the provisions of HB383 might be amended into! Ohio Gun Owners will keep me informed on this bill’s progress and what you do or do not do in opposition to it - and will be scoring a vote on HB383 as an anti-gun vote.

Criminals will use whatever tool is necessary to commit their criminal acts, this is just a fact of life. No gun law or prohibition has ever stopped a criminal. So why continue to punish the firearms then? House Bill 383 is a lame attempt to appear ‘tough on crime’ but neglects the real issues behind violent felons being let out onto our streets. You see, Kyle Koehler and other ‘Republicans’ in the House think that by trying to tag a criminal with an enhanced ‘weapons under disability’ charge, that will solve everything! Wrong. They claim that Ohio has a big problem with convicted felons back on the streets – who are committing mass amounts of violent crime. Why are these criminals back out onto the streets so soon? Why aren’t they properly adjudicated in court and receive a proper sentence in the first place? These are the questions you should be asking yourself. If you did, perhaps you would realize that the initial crimes these people commit need to be punished more severely, rather than attacking an inanimate object that has the protection of the U.S. and Ohio Constitution behind it. House Republicans are wrongly shifting the blame from the violent crimes that are committed to firearms – and that is something gun owners will not stand for. Punish the criminal, not the firearm. Period. Please reject HB383, stop, block, and vote NO on the bill every chance you get. Ohio Gun Owners will keep me updated on the bill’s progress and what actions you do, or do not take regarding it. OGO will be scoring a vote for HB383 as an anti-gun vote.