Gov. Mike Dewine on Monday will unveil legislation as part of his STRONG Ohio plan to address gun violence.
The legislation proposal will have portions of Dewine’s 17-point STRONG Ohio plan that require changes in Ohio law in order to enact.
Dewine announced his 17-point plan after the Dayton mass shooting that took place in August to address gun violence.
Dewine will be joined by several leaders and elected officials from across Ohio who support the Strong Ohio plan.
The plan deals with increasing penalties for felons who posses a gun illegally, or for when a gun is used in the commission of a felony, or when someone makes a gun purchase for someone else, or when an adult sells a gun to a minor.
“Our goal is to keep weapons out of the hands of criminals and dangerous people without infringing on the rights of law-abiding citizens,” said Lt. Governor Jon Husted. “But the current background system that is supposed to prevent people who’ve committed violent crimes from purchasing guns often doesn’t work, and we’re going to fix it.”
“Our state and national background check systems are only as good as the data they hold, yet a great deal of vital information on dangerous individuals is missing from these systems,” said Governor DeWine. “This lapse creates a substantial risk to the public, to victims, and to law enforcement officers who unknowingly encounter wanted suspects. It is time that Ohio takes action to fix this major flaw.”
In August, Dewine also signed an executive order creating the Ohio School Safety Center at the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
In that order, the staff will be responsible for analyzing web activity for threats, notify authorities when necessary and to provide education and resources to school districts and their staff through training programs.
The center will be a “key tool in preventing violence in our schools”, said Dewine.
