House Bill 233 was passed by the Ohio House of Representatives in July 2017 and is now in the hands of the Ohio Senate. The short title of the bill is “Avoid crime if concealed carry into prohibited space and leave” or “Decriminalization Effort For Endling Notorious Deaths (DEFEND).”

The bill, if passed by the State Senate, would allow those with concealed handguns to avoid punishment if caught with weapons in gun-free zones. Unfortunately, our State Representative and Speaker of the Ohio House Cliff Rosenberger was a co-sponsor of this bill. Apparently, it would be up to those in the gun-free zones to identify the concealed handgun owner and ask them to leave the premises – if they complied they could not be charged. This new law would open up the possibility that such places as schools, churches, bars, etc. would be open to concealed handgun owners.

As a Quaker Meeting, we urge our State Senator Bob Peterson and the Ohio Senate to reject this bill as it would infringe on the religious freedom of our meeting/church. For over 350 years we have stood against the use of such weapons as is expressed in what we refer to as our Peace Testimony. This bill would clearly weaken the current law which provides us with the freedom to keep such weapons out of our worship area (and secular locations where we feel strongly that concealed weapons should not be permitted).

This law, if passed, would place those who carry concealed weapons above those who wish to provide a place of worship free of such weapons. We urge Senator Peterson and the Ohio Senate to reject this potential law and provide people of peace with a place of worship continuing the current law which provides for gun-free zones.

Wilmington Friends Meeting/Church