South Ohio News

State Representative Justin Pizzulli of Scioto County testified before the House Public Safety Committee in support of House Bill 68. The proposed legislation, introduced alongside Representative Adam Mathews of Lebanon, seeks to give local governments in Ohio the authority to expand concealed carry access in specific public spaces.

Currently, Ohio law prohibits concealed weapons in any building housing a courtroom, regardless of its use at the time. This bill aims to allow citizens to carry concealed weapons in multi-purpose community centers, provided certain conditions are met.

Among these conditions are that the building is not a designated courthouse but simply houses a courtroom, it is under the local government's jurisdiction, and the courtroom is not in use. Furthermore, the local government must have passed an ordinance permitting concealed carry in such circumstances.

Pizzulli explained the intent behind the bill, stating, “The permissive nature of this bill, as well as safeguards put in place to ensure that it only applies to shared-use buildings where the decision-makers actually hold their meetings, make this a common-sense clarification for current law. This legislation empowers local control and strengthens our concealed carry framework.”

The bill echoes House Bill 272, which was introduced in the previous General Assembly. House Bill 68 will continue to be assessed by the House Public Safety Committee.