The COVID-19 pandemic exposed an alarming tendency of government to restrict constitutionally protected freedoms under the guise of an emergency. In response, the Ohio House of Representatives has approved Senate Bill 185 prohibiting state and local governments from restricting the possession, purchase or carry of firearms during a declared emergency. SB 185 passed the House by a vote of 55-22, which makes it eligible for the Ohio Senate to concur during the closing days of the 2022 session.
Ohio sportsmen need to email their state senator asking them to VOTE YES on SB 185. Please use the TAKE ACTION button below to send this email to your state senator and don’t forget to urge your family, friends, and fellow sportsmen to do the same.
SB 185 also prevents governments from restricting hunting, fishing and related businesses under the guise of an emergency, thereby protecting bird-hunting preserves, fishing charters and hunting guides from forced closure when a state of emergency has been issued.
Background: Governors in Michigan and Washington state inexplicably shut down some hunting and/or fishing and related businesses to contain the spread of COVID during the initial outbreak. Michigan also closed gun stores. Some states even closed churches. While Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine did none of those things, watching state executives limit constitutional rights without any due process led organizations such as Buckeye Firearms Association, the National Rifle Association and the National Shooting Sports Foundation to seek protections like SB 185 throughout the nation. The Sportsmen’s Alliance was specifically concerned about the state’s ability to close hunting and fishing operations and shooting ranges and sought language including the protections in SB 185.
“COVID illuminated the sweeping power of government during a crisis,” said Todd Adkins, vice president of government affairs for the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “With good reason, many in the sporting community are now pressing for changes that will protect hunters, anglers and trappers when a state of emergency has been declared. We encourage the Ohio Senate to pass Senate Bill 185 quickly.”
Continue to watch your inbox or www.sportsmensalliance.org for updates on SB 185 as it continues to move through the legislative process.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
