On Oct. 7, 2019 Ohio Governor Mike Dewine brought the issue of gun violence to the public’s attention once again. After the devastating shooting in Dayton, at the Oregon District, the community and many others have joined to push the state for gun reform.
Mike Dewine shared specifics on the STRONG Ohio Prevention Plan. Dayton mayor Nan Whaley joined Dewine to support this legislation, which is also sponsored by state senator Matt Dolan.
The STRONG Ohio bill is an acronym for gun reform. S is for Safety Protection Orders. T is for Thorough Background Checks. R is for Rigorous due process. O is for Ongoing Help to those in Crisis. N is for New State Background Checks. G is for Greater Penalties for Gun Crime.
This law is to ensure that guns are going to the right people. This law will require more background checks and a little more extensive procedure. It will also increase penalties for people who have guns who are not legally allowed to and for the individuals who sold them the firearms. This is also to ensure that those legally declared by a judge to be a danger to themselves or others do not have access to firearms.
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The proposal of the STRONG Ohio bill is being called “enhanced safety protection order.” This law will allow individuals to be assessed by a mental health expert. It would require anyone who is deemed to be a danger to themselves or others, individuals with substance abuse and the mentally ill to surrender their weapons.
The STRONG Ohio bill will create a new, private-sale background check process that will increase the number of background checks conducted in Ohio while also protecting the privacy of law-abiding gun owners.
Although this is not going to be required for private sales, the seller can be found guilty for selling to a criminal and will be charged, even if they “Didn’t know he was a bad guy.”
As gun reform is a common want from the majority of Democratic party it may be hard to get the swing of the Republican vote that repeatedly blocks gun-reform in Ohio.
This bill will attempt to balance more measures to protect the public while supporting the Second Amendment: the right to bear arms. This balance is reached with the intent to earn the Republican vote.
For further coverage of DeWine’s STRONG Ohio bill, check out NBC4’s take on the matter.(NBC4 WCMH-TV Columbus/YouTube)
The goal of the STRONG Ohio bill is to decrease overall gun violence by creating and improving measures to protect the public, such as increasing private sale background checks and raising penalties for gun crimes.
Nikki Neumann
Reporter