COLUMBUS – On Monday, State Representative Nino Vitale (R-Urbana) called for a return to “Constitutional government” by introducing a bill to have all gun laws at the federal level nullified and have Ohio exercise its constitutional right to control firearms laws.
Vitale has requested co-sponsorship of such a bill and has asked all members of the Ohio House of Representatives to join him in support of it.
In his co-sponsor request sent to all Ohio House members, Vitale wrote, “It’s time for Ohio to exercise its constitutional right of sovereignty. Of the 35 enumerated powers specifically given to the federal government gun rights are not one of them. Nullification is defined as a refusal of a U.S. state to aid in enforcement of federal laws within its limits, especially on Constitutional grounds. Today I ask you to co-sponsor legislation rendering null and void the enforcement of federal gun laws and executive orders as they relate to firearms of any kind or type.”
Vitale is a National Rifle Association (NRA) and Concealed Carry Weapons (CCW) instructor.
Vitale believes that President Obama’s “redefinition of the Federal Firearm Licensing (FFL), usage of Obamacare and the Social Security Administration, and broad definition of mental health, the president introduces many new elements that can threaten the liberty of law abiding Ohio citizens.”
Vitale contends by utilizing Obamacare and inclusion of federal mental health records into the background check system, there could be potential “blacklisting” of 1.1 million Ohioans on antidepressants, combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and the “20,000 Ohio mothers that will experience post partum depression” this year.
“How will this erode trust between patients and their doctors? How will this erode trust between the many licensed clergy and the faithful they counsel professionally?” Vitale writes.
“As Republicans we believe the best government is the government most local to the people. We can make our own laws in Ohio. Our citizens should not be subjected to these arbitrary declarations from an ivory house hundreds of miles away. We, their representative government, should protect them from this tyranny.
Vitale continues, “This is clearly a first step towards a national gun registry by using the changes made to the definition of an FFL.”
Vitale has appealed to his fellow legislators, “… we must pass this law quickly, declaring it an emergency and so it takes effect upon passage, with no waiting period. Join me in protecting every Ohioan’s rights under the 10th amendment of the U.S. Constitution, under the 2nd amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and defending the Ohio Constitution which is being trampled on by the federal government.”
