Ohio House stalls suppressor bill as anti-gun governor-elect looms
Ohio's Senate passed suppressor deregulation months ago by a 31-1 vote, but the House has left the bill sitting in committee, and with an anti-gun governor-elect on the way, that delay could cost gun owners the window to get it done.
Snapshot
Senate Bill 214, which would remove firearm mufflers and suppressors from Ohio's "dangerous ordnance" classification, cleared the state Senate easily but remains stalled in the House Public Safety Committee. Tom Knighton of Bearing Arms argues the House needs to act now, before a change in governors closes the door.
Key points
- Senate already acted: SB 214 passed the Ohio Senate 31-1, reflecting broad support for taking suppressors off the state's dangerous ordnance list.
- House is the holdup: The bill has sat in the House Public Safety Committee for months without a final vote, despite Republican control of the chamber.
- Governor DeWine's record is shaky: Knighton notes Governor Mike DeWine earned an "F" rating from Buckeye Firearms Association and the NRA during his Senate years and has offered only lukewarm support for pro-gun bills as governor.
- A Democrat is taking over: With Governor-elect Amy Acton set to replace DeWine, Knighton writes that waiting risks handing suppressor reform to a governor who, unlike DeWine, is expected to veto it outright.
Quick take
Knighton's point lands because the math is simple: a bill stuck in committee offers no legal certainty, and banking on a governor who's never championed gun rights was already a gamble. With a far less sympathetic governor on the way, Ohio lawmakers have a narrow window, and letting SB 214 languish turns a near-certain win into a missed one.
Read the full story: bearingarms.com