News

Stand-Your-Ground Foes Seek To Block Ohio Gun Bill

By:
Posted on:

< < Back to stand-your-ground-foes-seek-block-ohio-gun-bill

A group of black state lawmakers is joining community and faith leaders in Ohio to deliver petitions asking Gov. John Kasich and Republican legislative leaders not to enact a stand-your-ground gun law.

The Ohio Black Legislative Caucus and its partners were delivering 10,000 signatures and eight city resolutions Wednesday.

The Ohio bill introduced in June would allow people to use force to defend themselves without having a duty to retreat first.

Debate over such measures has increased since the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the 2012 shooting death of unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin in Florida. At least 21 states have laws similar to the one in Florida.

More than a dozen lawmakers back the Ohio proposal, which also would ease restrictions on carrying concealed weapons.