Ohio Senate Passed Its Suppressor Bill 31-1. Now a House Lawmaker Wants Short-Barreled Rifles and Shotguns Added.– www.usacarry.com
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EXCERPT:
COLUMBUS, OH — Ohio Senate Bill 214 would remove firearm mufflers and suppressors from the state’s classification of dangerous ordnance. Sen. Koehler introduced it in the 136th General Assembly. It amends sections 1533.04, 2923.11 and 2923.17 of the Ohio Revised Code.
The bill passed the Senate 31-1 in March and is now pending before the House Public Safety Committee, as reported by the Ohio House of Representatives. The release comes from State Rep. Monica Robb Blasdel (R-New Waterford). It identifies the sponsor as Sen. Kyle Koehler (R-Springfield). It also backs proposed amendments that would extend the bill’s changes to short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns. NRA-ILA also reported the Senate’s passage of the bill in March.
Here is why this matters. Under current Ohio law, suppressors, short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns are all classified as dangerous ordnance. According to Blasdel’s office, possessing one without federal National Firearms Act registration or another qualifying exemption can result in state felony charges.
The timing is tied to changes at the federal level. Blasdel’s office points to “a landmark federal court ruling limiting federal enforcement,” which I covered previously. It also cites the federal government’s announcement that it will end enforcement of “dangerous ordnance registration under the NFA.” The concern is that Ohio’s own parallel enforcement statute stays on the books. That could leave law-abiding Ohio gun owners exposed to state penalties even as federal enforcement backs off.