(UPDATE 6/21 with Enactment Date) This morning Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed Knife Rights’ Ohio Knife Law Preemption bill, SB 156, in a ceremony attended by Knife Rights Director of Legislative Affairs, Todd Rathner. This bill signing is the culmination of nearly seven years of our efforts in Columbus to eliminate all of Ohio’s terrible knife laws. Gov. DeWine told Todd “that he was happy to sign the bill because it’s good for business and good for Ohio.”
Also attending the ceremony was Ohio knife manufacturer Rick Hinderer who said, “all the credit for reforming Ohio knife laws goes to Knife Rights. Without their leadership and years of effort here, I and Ohio knife owners would still be dealing with some of the worst knife laws in the country. I am so excited to join those states without knife restrictions on law-abiding businesses and residents.”
As a result of our knife law reform bill signed into law last year, Hinderer is now able to manufacture switchblades, one of which you can win in our Ultimate Steel Early Bird Bonus! DONATE TODAY! Now they will be legal to own and carry throughout Ohio.
NOTE: The new law does not go into effect until September 13th. Until then, local jurisdictions in Ohio can still enforce laws more restrictive than state law.
Unable to attend the signing ceremony were SB 156 sponsor Senator Kristina Roegner and Representative Al Cutrona, sponsor of the House companion bill, HB 243, who sent staffers to the ceremony in their stead. Both also sponsored last year’s Knife Law Reform Bill. It is only with their cooperation and hard work that we were able to get these bills passed and we sincerely appreciate their dedication to protecting our freedoms.
Sen. Roegner said, “Thanks to Knife Rights for their unwavering support in this effort to rid Ohio of its vague and troublesome knife laws that too often impacted hard-working men and women. Together we have made Ohio a free state for knife owners and also created jobs and opportunities for business here in Ohio”
Without knife law preemption making the reforms contained in last year’s Knife Law Reform bill applicable statewide, numerous cities and towns in Ohio were still able to ban many knives that are perfectly legal under Ohio’s statutes.
Knife Law Preemption is a Knife Rights criminal justice reform effort that repeals and prevents local ordinances more restrictive than state law which only serve to confuse or entrap law-abiding citizens traveling within or through the state. Preemption ensures citizens can expect consistent enforcement of state knife laws everywhere within a state.
Knife Rights passed the nation’s first Knife Law Preemption bill in Arizona in 2010 and has since passed preemption bills in Alaska, Georgia, Kansas, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and now, Ohio.
Knife Rights is America’s grassroots knife owners’ organization; leading the fight to Rewrite Knife Law in America™ and forging a Sharper Future for all Americans™. Knife Rights efforts have resulted in 38 bills passed repealing knife bans in 25 states and over 150 cities and towns since 2010.