COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) – House Democrats held a first-of-its-kind “Gun Violence Prevention Summit” at the Statehouse on Thursday. At the end of the summit, lawmakers announced five new “commonsense” bills that they say could help curb gun violence across the state.
“Every day, gun violence is hurting families and creating everlasting traumas,” Ohio House Minority Whip Jessica Miranda (D-Forest Park) said.
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And though the bills have just been introduced, they are already being met with pushback from Republican leaders at the Statehouse.
“Rather than vilifying law-abiding Ohioans and their Second Amendment right to protect themselves and their families, democrats should simply enforce existing laws, keep the criminals in jail and support the police,” John Fortney, Spokesperson for Senate Republicans, said in a statement.
Previously, Speaker of the Ohio House Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) said in a one-on-one interview that ‘commonsense gun reform’ proposes “just don’t have the support throughout the whole House.” During that interview he said the focus should be on keeping repeat offenders off the streets.