A week after a Franklin County judge granted a temporary preliminary injunction on the part of a state law the prohibits cities from writing their own gun laws - Columbus officials announced they have new legislative proposals to do just that.
At a press conference with Mayor Andrew Ginther Wednesday afternoon, city council member Shayla Favor explained there are three proposals.
The first ban 'straw' purchases; selling, giving or lending a gun to someone who is not legally allowed to have one. The second encourages safer storage of firearms, especially when there is a possibility a minor could access them, and provides a defense if a gun is used, despite its owners' best efforts. And the third would affect certain large capacity ammunition magazines.
"This legislation will prohibit the possession of a large capacity magazine by anyone other than a federal or state agent, or an armed services member, or a member of state or local law enforcement. There is no reason for ordinary citizens to possess military grade weapons."
The portion of the state law currently on hold says that municipalities can not make their own "ordinance, rule, regulation, resolution or other actions" regarding firearms, and was vetoed by then-Governor John Kasich, but passed by the state legislature.
Since declaring gun violence a public health crisis earlier this year, Ginther has focused on ways to get guns off the streets. In June he said that 1,200 guns had been seized by police in the first six months of 2022. While gun rights advocates like the Buckeye Firearms Association have been quick to denounce the proposals as over reach that misinterpret Judge Steven McIntosh's temporary injunction on the state law, city officials say they hope to hold hearings and pass legislation quickly.
