Ohio bill could lead to gun fight w/ feds - WICU12/WSEE Erie, PA News, Sports, Weather and Events

A bill just introduced in the Ohio legislature could start a gunfight with the federal government.  There is concern among some gun-owners that the government is getting ready to confiscate fire arms.  So State Senator Kris Jordan (R-19th District) has introduced a bill that he says keeps Washington from running wild over your constitutional right to own a gun.

During the president's State of the Union address, Tuesday, he said:

"Police chiefs are asking our help to get weapons of war and massive ammunition off our streets."

Mister Obama appealed to federal lawmakers to pass his gun control plan.   He particularly targets the sale of assault weapons… and high-capacity magazines… as unnecessary for private individuals.

Since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown Connecticut, in December,  58-percent of Americans now say favor tougher laws on gun sales.

The president's 23-point gun control plan includes items such as how to do a background check, how states can share information if a gun is lost or stolen, and how to make sure dangerous people don't get guns.

But gun supporters fear the plan will eventually lead to confiscating *all guns*….

So Tuesday, Ohio State Senator Kris Jordan introduced SB- 36 which aims to prohibit any law officer from enforcing "a firearm registration requirement or firearm ban".

Jordan told 13abc reporter Bill Hormann,  "I'm letting the government know we're doing what we can, here in Ohio, to keep the government from going wild."

Jordan's bill would prevent the registration or ban of *any firearm*… including assault weapons.  Jordan also believes his bill protects law officers from violating their Constitutional oaths by confiscating legally owned weapons from law abiding citizens the officers are sworn to protect.

Toby Hoover, the executive director of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence disagrees with Jordan. "Registration is not confiscation.  Regulations are not confiscation," she insists.

Hoover applauds the president's efforts and thinks Jordan's bill is an over-reaction during a time when opinion polls indicate Americans want something done.  She says, "We can't fix it all but we ought to be able to try.  And Jordan's bill seems to say, nope, we can't try."

Jordan's bill would also prohibit towns like Toledo from creating a firearm registry.

Ironically, about 20-years ago, Toledo tried to create a Handgun Owners Card but the city was told that was unconstitutional.

Earlier in February, Hancock County Sheriff Michael Heldman, sent a letter to President Obama saying "any edict, regulation, or so-called federal law which infringes on the right of the citizens of Hancock County, Ohio to keep and bear arms for their security will not be tolerated, recognized or enforced by me or my office."

So this gun fight continues.  Jordan's bill heads to committee for debate and Congress may soon vote on the president's package of gun control measures.