The GOP Shootout In Ohio

Outgoing Ohio GOP Gov. John Kasich suddenly wants several new gun safety provisions in state laws after signing into law a 2011 bill that allowed concealed carry in bars and a 2017 bill that expanded concealed carry to workplace parking lots.  Kasich now wants major new safety laws for firearms, saying it's a "different day" in Ohio.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich is backing six gun control measures that he believes have a support from both sides of the debate and that hopes will help end the horror of American mass shootings.

Kasich brushed aside questions about hard line opposition to gun control. “It’s a different day,” he said.

The governor will ask the Ohio General Assembly to pass measures to take guns away from people at risk of hurting themselves or others, keep guns away from those convicted of domestic violence or subject to protection orders, close some gaps in the background check system, strengthen the law against “straw man” gun purchases, and ban bump stocks and armor-piercing ammunition.

“No one is interested in some slippery slope in trying to go and grab everyone’s guns,” he said.

The response from Ohio Republicans, who currently have a supermajority in both the state House and Senate, was both swift and utterly predictable.

The leader of Republicans in the Senate says he thinks a “stand your ground” bill that Gov. John Kasich said he wouldn’t sign will pass anyway.

The bill removes the requirement for a person to try to retreat before using lethal force in self-defense. Kasich said on NBC’s Meet the Press Daily last week that he wouldn’t sign it. For a while it’s appeared the bill was stalled. But Senate President Larry Obhof of Medina says he’s not sure about that. 

“I think that would easily pass the Legislature. I don’t think there would be any problem with that, no. Now whether we choose to go that route or not remains to be seen.” 

The so-called Stand Your Ground bill is one of 23 pieces of gun-related legislation at the Statehouse – 14 of which would expand gun owners’ rights, including adding places where permit holders could carry concealed weapons.

We'll see what the General Assembly does, but my guess is that Obhof has the votes to override Kasich's veto, they've done it before.

Of course, how long Ohio has a GOP supermajority, I can't tell you.  Something tells me this fact will change abruptly in November.