Ohio is poised to become one of the states changing gun laws after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school massacre—and the governor has enlisted the help of a Parkland, FL, dad to make it happen, according to the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel.
Fred Guttenberg is the father of 14-year-old Jaime Guttenberg, one of the 17 killed in the Feb. 14 Parkland school shooting. He was invited to testify before the Ohio Legislature by Gov. John Kasich, the former presidential candidate.
“He asked me to come and testify about what happened here in Florida and what it’s meant to our community—if red-flag [laws] had existed prior to Feb. 14 the outcome could have been different,” Guttenberg said. “I’ll testify about how it’s working in the state of Florida now that the law has been passed.”
Florida is among 13 states that have already tightened gun control laws or passed legislation aimed at improving school safety since the Feb. 14 tragedy, according to a review by the South Florida Sun Sentinel. The other 12 states are Delaware, Idaho, Kansas, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia.
Ohio is states also looking at proposals in response. Gov. Kasich has recommended changes, including prohibiting those under domestic violence protection orders from buying or possessing firearms; and clarifying Ohio’s prohibition on third-party gun purchases. The law would allow families to appeal to law enforcement to keep guns away from relatives who are a danger to themselves or society.
