Just One Republican in Ohio General Assembly Says He Opposes Red Flag Law, According to Survey

 

A new survey released Sunday found that at least nine Republicans in the Ohio General Assembly support red-flag laws, while only one publicly opposes the legislation—as of now.

The survey was conducted last week by six Ohio news organizations, including the Dayton Daily News, which released the results Sunday.

The organizations reached out to all 132 lawmakers in the General Assembly for their stance on Gov. Mike DeWine’s proposed red-flag law. According to the outlets, they received responses from nearly all 33 senators and almost two-thirds of the 99 House members.

Overall, the survey found that at least nine Republicans and 31 Democrats will support red-flag legislation. In the Senate, at least seven Republicans said they support the measure, compared to just two Republicans in the Ohio House.

State Rep. Niraj Antani (R-Miamisburg) was the only Republican to say he opposes red-flag laws. The rest of his Republican colleagues—24 in the Senate, and 65 in the House—either didn’t respond, said they are waiting for an official bill, or support the red-flag laws.

“The proposal lacks necessary due process,” Antani said. “We must address the growing culture of violence in our society, all of it. We must create a comprehensive system to get treatment to those who have violent tendencies.”

After the mass shooting in Dayton, Gov. DeWine released a 17-point proposal to address gun violence, which included calls for “Safety Protection Orders,” another name for red-flag laws.

“Gov. DeWine is asking the legislature to pass a law to allow courts to issue Safety Protection Orders which would remove firearms from potentially dangerous individuals and get them the mental health treatment they need all while maintaining an individual’s right to due process,” DeWine said in his proposal.

As The Ohio Star reported, State Sen. Peggy Lehner (R-Kettering) announced that she will introduce two gun-control bills with a Democrat colleague.

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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News, The Ohio Star, and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].

 

 

 

 

 

 

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