Gun owners in the Buckeye State have been getting our teeth kicked in lately here in Ohio.
With another hearing on Thursday regarding Governor Kasich’s gun-control bill (HB585), however, we’ve got some teeth kicking of our own to keep doing to stop their attacks on our gun rights.
But right now I’m asking you to take a moment to contact the members of the House Federalism Committee before tomorrow’s hearing — on a completely different bill — at 4pm.
You see, Representative Paul Zeltwanger (R-Mason) is running an amendment to HB228 that would insert the strong, robust Stand-Your-Ground language Ohioans deserve into the bill!
HB228 as written is incredibly weak, and its passage would only delay longer the full implementation of making Ohio a true Stand-Your-Ground state.
The Zeltwanger Amendment to HB228 would make it a 100% rock-solid bill that all Ohioan gun owners could get behind and help ram through our General Assembly!
That’s why I’m asking you to please contact the members of the House Federalism Committee immediately and urge them to vote YES on the Zeltwanger Amendment.
It’s easy to do, just click HERE or the image below to be taken to your own pre-written email.
If that doesn’t work or your browser isn’t compatible, please copy and paste the information listed in the P.S. portion of this email.
Please act quickly – this is a great opportunity to make HB228 a bill EVERY gun owner can get behind!
For Freedom,
Chris Dorr, Director
Ohio Gun Owners
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P.S. If your email didn’t automatically populate with the information you need to send the email, please copy and paste the address list, subject line and message below into your own email system and send it that way.
We apologize for this inconvenience, but please take action right away, as time is of essence!
Address list: rep37@ohiohouse.gov, rep65@ohiohouse.gov, rep79@ohiohouse.gov, rep47@ohiohouse.gov, rep51@ohiohouse.gov, rep61@ohiohouse.gov, rep54@ohiohouse.gov, [email protected]
Subject Line: Strengthen HB228 – vote YES on the Zeltwanger Amendment!
Message Body: Dear members of the House Federalism Committee,
Representative Zeltwanger’s Amendment to HB228 is a critically needed upgrade to the current language in HB228, and I’m asking you to support it with a YES vote in committee.
The Zeltwanger Amendment would do several things.
First of all, it would provide protection for gun owners who were forced to use a firearm for self-defense before they even go to trial.
By clearly establishing a pre-trial immunity hearing, it would prevent frivolous lawsuits against law-abiding gun owners from prosecutors looking to make a name for themselves or civil liability lawsuits from a criminal or their family.
In other words, it would force a prosecutor or someone looking to overcome immunity to prove to a judge that the facts are sufficient to go to trial before a gun owner is forced to go to the expense of an expensive court battle just to prove their innocence.
The Zeltwanger Amendment would help gun owners to deescalate violent situations by establishing a “threatened use of force.”
Current Ohio law actually encourages a gun owner to pull the trigger after they’ve pulled a firearm from their holster because we don’t have a threatened use of force.
This provision of the Zeltwanger Amendment would allow a citizen in a life-threatening situation to pull their firearm and tactically retreat from a deadly situation without opening themselves up to a “brandishing” charge, and potentially avoid taking a life in the process.
Mirror language to the Zeltwanger Amendment was just passed into law in the State of Wyoming, which became the 36th state to enact some form of Stand-Your-Ground law and the third state to pass it since the Trayvon Martin/Zimmerman trial in 2012.
With the Federalism Committee’s refusal to move other major pro-gun bills out of committee, improving HB228 with the Zeltwanger Amendment would be an important step in the right direction.
As a law-abiding, freedom-loving, Second-Amendment supporting voter, I’ll be watching your actions very closely.
Please vote YES on the Zeltwanger Amendment with no weakening amendments, divisions or any procedural actions that would kill this important, improving amendment.
Sincerely,