Can Ohio governor suspend open carry during the GOP convention? Guns allowed, paint balls banned
Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Dan Fleckner / Shutterstock.com
Ohio Gov. John Kasich and a police union official differ over the governor’s power to suspend Ohio’s open carry laws during the Republican National Convention.
The president of the Cleveland police patrolmen’s union, Steve Loomis, says he wants Kasich to declare a state of emergency, allowing the governor to suspend the law, report Reuters, Fox 8 Cleveland, Bloomberg News and Cleveland.com.
But a spokesperson for Kasich, Emmalee Kalmbach, issued a statement saying the governor does not have such power. “Law enforcement is a noble, essential calling and we all grieve that we’ve again seen attacks on officers,” Kalmbach said. “Ohio governors do not have the power to arbitrarily suspend federal and state constitutional rights or state laws as suggested.”
According to Cleveland.com, the Ohio Constitution gives the right to suspend laws to the legislature. “No power of suspending laws shall ever be exercised, except by the general assembly,” it reads.
Firearms won’t be allowed in the inner-ring Secret Service security zone around the convention arena. Gun owners will be able to carry firearms, however, in the outer ring of the 1.7 square-mile event zone, according to USA Today and Cleveland.com.
Knives, paintball guns and axes won’t be allowed in the outer ring, but guns will be allowed.
