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Knife Rights Pursues Two-Prong Approach in Ohio

July 9, 2019

Knife Rights is working to alter knife laws in Ohio through two different avenues. SB 140 is making its way through the system as a standalone bill, and additionally its most important verbiage is included in the current proposed Senate budget amendment.

Both pieces of legislation aim to alter the same elements of Ohio knife law. “SB 140 and the budget amendment language addresses the often abusive and discriminatory application of the existing Ohio weapons law against knife carriers, clarifying that unless the knife/edged tool is actually used as a weapon, it is legal to be carried,” Knife Rights says. Under current law, there is much vagueness in what makes a knife illegal to carry, meaning that interpretation is often left to cops and can be easily skewed towards the negative.

An additional element removes restrictions on the sale and manufacture of switchblades and gravity knives – a restriction that Knife Rights describes as “ridiculous,” particularly in light of the fact that ownership of these knives is not illegal in Ohio.

Other recent Knife Rights projects have been occurring in Texas and Michigan. Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently signed a bill into law that further bolstered preemption in the Lone Star State. Meanwhile in Michigan, HB 4722, which was first drawn up and submitted last year but didn’t make it into law, is up for consideration again in the House of Representatives.

The Ohio Senate Budget Amendment is sitting in the House/Senate Conference Committee, while the separate SB 140 is on its way to the House after a decisive victory in the Senate of 32-1.

Knife in Featured Image: Benchmade Mini Stimulus

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