The Ohio House of Representatives is taking aim at firearm regulations, looking
to widen self-defense and concealed weapon procedures.Ohioans will no longer be required to retreat before
using deadly force against an attacker if House Bill 203, currently in committee, is approved by
legislators. The measure would also reduce the training requirement for concealed-carry permits and
recognize permits from other states.Ohio’s current "castle doctrine" requires anyone outside of
their own home or vehicle or an immediate relative’s vehicle attempt to retreat before using a firearm for
self defense. The alternative proposed in House Bill 203 would replace that provision with what’s commonly
referred to as a "stand your ground" law, made infamous as the country heard it discussed in the
case of George Zimmerman, who claimed to have shot Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old, in self defense
in Florida.That state’s law differs from Ohio’s proposal, which would keep the burden of proving
self-defense on the shooter. In Florida, Zimmerman was found not guilty and did not cite "stand your
ground" as a defense.If passed, the bill would change Ohio law to state that "a person has no duty
to retreat before using force in self-defense, defense of another, or defense of that person’s residence if
that person is in a place that the person lawfully has a right to be."House Bill 203 would also make
several changes to the requirements for concealed-carry licenses, including reducing the required training
from 12 hours to four, and a reciprocal program to recognize other states’ permits if those states honor
permits issued by Ohio.Introduced in June, the measure originally removed the 12-hour training requirement
before the four-hour stipulation was added to a substitute bill offered by the House Policy and Legislative
Oversight Committee this week.State Rep. Tim Brown (R-Bowling Green) said he would defer to Attorney General
Mike DeWine’s decision on whether to institute a reciprocity agreement with states that have equal or better
laws governing concealed carry permits.Brown said he is not a member of the Policy and Legislative Oversight
Committee and has not read the bill, and thus declined to comment on the stand-your-ground provision or
other aspects of the legislation."I’m going to reserve judgement until there’s a final bill I can read
and look at," he said. "That bill just doesn’t exist today."State Sen. Randy Gardner
(R-Bowling Green) also declined to comment in detail."Fundamentally, I am a strong advocate for the
right of self-defense for law-abiding citizens," he stated via email.Wood County Sheriff Mark
Wasylyshyn said that although the bill may change and he supports the individual right to protect a person
and their family by carrying guns, a stand-your-ground component could lead to some being "aggressive
or stepping beyond" the limit of the law.If someone is threatened and unable to safely retreat, they
should be allowed to use force, he said. But they’ll also be asked to explain why they felt unable to
retreat, whether by law enforcement or the courts, and should be able to do so clearly."If they can
safely retreat and not kill the other person, I think always the best course is to not kill someone,"
he said."If you can express that you’re in danger and can’t get away, you have every right to use
lethal force."Any reciprocity agreement should require that standards of other states be equal to or
more stringent than Ohio, Wasylyshyn said. Otherwise, some residents may seek those permits to avoid Ohio’s
requirements.Wasylyshyn prefers to leave the training requirement at 12 hours, which is "not too
much" when considering the safety procedures, liability issues and other matters to be learned during a
course that covers much more than just shooting proficiency, he said.His deputies are required to
demonstrate their ability on the firing range at least twice per year, while those who seek CCW permits have
to qualify to earn one, but never again.Wasylyshyn said reduced requirements are coming about due to
pressure by the National Rifle Association, which has lobbied in support of no requirements whatsoever to
carry a concealed firearm.