COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A gun safety group hoping to change Ohio law to require background checks on virtually all guns sales has cleared an initial hurdle on its second try.
The Ohio Attorney General's Office on Friday certified a revised petition from Ohioans for Gun Safety.
The proposal would close a loophole allowing sales without background checks at gun shows and between private individuals.
Officials had rejected the first summary language as inaccurate but concluded the revised version fairly and truthfully summarizes the proposal.
Next the Ohio Ballot Board must determine whether the proposal contains one or multiple laws. Then petitioners would collect voter signatures to proceed.
Should the petition advance, it would first ask Ohio lawmakers to enact universal background checks. If lawmakers decline, the petition could be presented directly to voters.
