Ohio House approves bill allowing concealed carry without permit

The Ohio House on Wednesday approved a bill that would allow residents to carry a concealed weapon in the state without a permit.

The bill, which advanced on a 60-32 vote, would allow anyone over the age of 21 to carry a concealed gun or other weapon without any license. 

If passed in the Senate and signed by the governor, the bill would change current Ohio law, which requires a person to have a background check and eight hours of training before obtaining a concealed carry permit. 

Under the new law, no concealed carry license would be needed within the state of Ohio, though gun owners would still be allowed to obtain one if they wanted. 

Republican legislators in multiple red states have been working to ease restrictions on concealed carry permits in recent years.

Earlier this year, Louisiana’s Republican-controlled legislature passed a bill that would have made carrying a concealed gun without a permit legal in that state. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) vetoed the measure, however, and the state Senate was unable to muster enough votes override the action.

More than a dozen states allow residents to concealed carry without a permit, but in the majority of states gun owners are still required to obtain a license to do so.