OHIO MAYORS AGAINST ILLEGAL GUNS OPPOSE LEGISLATION TO GIVE DRUG CRIMINALS ACCESS TO GUNS

Legislation Would Allow People Convicted of Drug Misdemeanors to Buy and Carry Guns in Ohio

More than 70 Ohio mayors who are members of the national coalition Mayors Against Illegal Guns are calling on all members of the Ohio House of Representatives to oppose the movement of legislation that would allow drug offenders to gain easy access to guns.  Senate Bill 247 would allow individuals convicted of drug misdemeanors – including attempting to traffic cocaine and crack cocaine, trafficking marijuana, and selling drug paraphernalia to children – to buy and carry firearms in Ohio. 

The Ohio House of Representatives is currently considering passage of a discharge petition for SB 247, circumventing the normal process for considering legislation. A discharge petition allows legislation to go directly to the House floor for a vote without hearings or debate.  If the discharge petition is successful, there will likely be a vote in the house to pass the legislation in the near future.

“Every day, our police officers put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe from gun violence,” said Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman. “Putting guns in the hands of the very people who are prone to commit acts of violence undermines the work of our officers and puts our residents at risk.”

Research shows that misdemeanants who buy handguns are more likely to commit future crimes than other handgun buyers. Gun buyers who have at least one misdemeanor conviction are 7.5 times as likely to be charged with a new offense as buyers who had no record.  And, according to ATF, drug addicts are often recruited by gun traffickers and prohibited purchasers to act as “straw purchasers” in exchange for money or drugs.  A “straw purchase” occurs when a gun trafficker or a person who is prohibited from buying guns hires another person to buy the gun, fill out the paperwork, and pass the background check on his or her behalf. 

"The connection between those who use drugs and those who use guns is a fundamental reality in law enforcement. When it comes to protecting the safety of all our citizens, we cannot afford to continue to ignore these common sense realities at the behest of special interests. We urge our state legislators to stand up for the safety of our communities by blocking passage of this dangerous legislation," said Mayor Frank G. Jackson.

Allowing drug criminals to have access to guns undermines the work that our police officers are doing to combat gun violence in our communities.

The Ohio Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition is calling upon the Ohio House of Representatives to block any efforts to advance or to pass this legislation.

##