COLUMBUS — Not wanting to find themselves in the place that their Dayton counterpart found herself a month ago, three mayors of mid-sized Ohio cities voiced general support Wednesday for reforming access to guns.
Two of those mayors are Republicans, whose positions place them at odds with the stance so far in the GOP-controlled General Assembly.
New Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn told the Columbus Metropolitan Club that city government, closer to the people they represent, may be able to set the example in such a debate.
“As a Republican, I’m hoping that we can get something done in the state of Ohio that is able to be utilized in other states and to set that example,” she said. “It’s a challenging topic. It’s not easy to implement. It’s an emotional thing, but ultimately Ohio is a perfect state to be able to put something together that will then be used in other states.”
She was joined by the fellow Republican mayor of Lancaster, David Scheffler, a concealed-carry permit holder and disenchanted National Rifle Association member, and the Democratic mayor of the Columbus suburb of Bexley, Ben Kessler.
While mass shootings occurred before and have continued since, the Aug. 4 shootings in an open-air district of downtown Dayton brought the issue to Ohio’s doorstep. The early morning killings have triggered a rethinking among some majority Republican lawmakers who’ve resisted past gun reform efforts.
A 21-year-old man opened fire, killing nine people, including his sister. He was swiftly killed by police.
The mayors generally support the idea of a red-flag law that would establish a procedure through which the courts could take guns from those deemed dangerous to themselves or others, and to close loopholes in background checks that can miss private person-to-person, gun show, and Internet sales.
The Ohio Mayors Alliance, a bipartisan group of mayors from 20 of Ohio's largest cities, generally supports concepts along those lines voiced by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. But the mayors, like everyone else, have yet to see that legislative language.
Mr. Kessler said he would go as far as revisiting a ban on assault weapons, something Mr. DeWine voted for while a U.S. senator but is not included in his latest gun reform proposals.
“My frustration has personally grown over time,” he said. “We’re at a time in our country’s history where access to super-lethal weapons is easier than it’s ever been. … We are really dropping the ball as leaders in protecting our people.”
While the mayors talked about having discussions closer to home, cities are barred by a state law upheld by the Ohio Supreme Court from enacting gun laws that are stricter than state and federal law.
“The mass shootings get all the headlines,” Mr. Scheffler said. “The red-flag rule will not only keep firearms out of (the hands of) people with evil intent, but people who want to do themselves in. … There’s two sides to this. It’s the mass shooting issue, but suicide is really a huge part of firearm fatalities.”
The Ohio Senate on Tuesday held its first hearing of a red-flag bill. But Senate Bill 19, sponsored by Sen. Sandra Williams (D, Cleveland), is not the bill that Republicans may be open to. They, like broad gun rights advocates, are still waiting for Mr. DeWine’s language.
The governor insists his “safety protection order” proposal will provide greater protection for the due-process rights of the accused.
Petitions are currently in the field for a proposed initiated statute to tighten Ohio’s background checks. The proposed law would be placed in the laps of lawmakers at the start of 2020. If lawmakers don’t act within four months, voters may get a crack at it on the November, 2020, ballot.
Mr. DeWine also has proposed stiffer criminal penalties for felons who illegally acquire, possess, and use firearms as well as greater access to mental health treatment and early intervention.
Fresh off her trip to Washington to promote gun reforms, Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, a Democrat, will address the club herself on Oct. 2 about her experiences in the wake of the shootings.
First Published September 11, 2019, 7:15 p.m.
