On the heels of Senate Bill 239, a proposal which would allow concealed-carry permit holders to take a loaded gun into a restaurant that serves alcohol, another piece of legislation is in the works in the Ohio House which would give more rights to employees who are gun owners.
House Bill 571, which was introduced by Joe Uecker, 66th District Representative, and is co-sponsored by 30 other representatives, would amend section 2923.126 of the Ohio Revised Code. The law would not allow private employers to prohibit a concealed-carry permit holder from storing the employee's handgun in a locked motor vehicle on the employer's premises. Any current employer policy prohibiting such would have to be amended.
"I was approached by some of my constituents who had been dismissed from their job for exercising their Second Amendment rights," said Rep. Uecker in a phone conversation Friday.
"The question they had was, 'how can my employer dictate to me what I have in my car?'"
Ohio Senator Jimmy Stewart, R-Athens, said he is in support of the measure; however, he would like to hear more discussion on the matter.
"I would be inclined to support something similar," he said.
"After all, you can't be a permit holder if you're not a law-abiding citizen. But you have to balance the rights of gun owners with the rights of the property owners."
Stewart, a co-sponsor of the concealed-carry law when he was a representative in 2004, also supported Senate Bill 239, which passed in the Senate in May. It is not expected to be voted on by the House until they reconvene after the November election.
Debbie Phillips, the democratic 92nd District House Representative said that she is always interested in listening to the concerns of her constituents on matters of gun ownership, including this most recent piece of legislation.
"I've heard from individual gun owners on this issue and they've said that it's not like they're bringing it (the gun) into their workplace," she said.
"I think an individual homeowner or business owner has the right to determine how things should go on their own property. But there are also the rights of the gun owners and I think it's (concealed-carry) still a very grey area."
Uecker's office was approached by Ohioans for Concealed Carry and Buckeye Firearms Association to back this legislation, not only because of the fear of repercussions from their employers, but also because citizens were concerned about how to protect themselves in transit from home to work.
"Employees should not be discriminated against just because they choose to exercise their second amendment rights," Uecker said.
"This legislation will prevent intrusive company policies on personal freedoms and possible dismissal based on the merit that management does not agree with the individual's right."
The legislation does not have the support of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, however.
"We recognize the second amendment rights but this is not a gun-rights issue," said Tony Seegers, Director of Labor and Human Resource Policy with the Chamber.
"This is a mandate that takes away the private property rights of the business owners. Right now this is an issue of two individual rights butting heads."
"Parking lot" legislation was first introduced in 2002 in Oklahoma when eight plant workers were fired for having guns in their vehicles. Since then, 13 states have passed the law.
