The Buckeye State already has pretty good gun laws on the books, including Constitutional Carry, but one lawmaker sees an opportunity for improvement

State Sen. Al Cutrona has introduced SB 59, which would not only help gun owners save a few bucks when exercising their Second Amendment rights, but could also provide a boost to the firearms industry in the state. 

Under Cutrona's legislation, purchases of most guns and ammunition would be exempt from the state's 5.75% sales tax. While some states offer tax-free "holidays" for arms, ammunition, and hunting-related supplies, if Cutrona's bill becomes law Ohio would be the first in the nation to offer a permanent sales tax exemption on the purchase of firearms and ammunition. 

The rationale behind this portion of Cutrona's bill is simple: the government shouldn't be in the business of making money off the exercise of a fundamental civil right. But SB 59 goes even further by offering refundable tax credits for small arms and ammunition manufacturing projects; a move that could help spur companies within the firearms industry to relocate to the Buckeye State or expand their existing operations. 

Ohio already has a decent footprint when it comes to gunmakers. Companies like Chiappa Firearms, Faxon Firearms, and Hi-Point have manufacturing facilities in the state, along with smaller manufacturers like Ohio Ordnance Works. At this point, most major manufacturers historically located in anti-gun states have already pulled up stakes and fled for friendlier locales, but Cutrona's bill might still prove enticing to companies looking for additional manufacturing facilities. 

Despite the Republican supermajority, however, Cutrona's bill isn't guaranteed to become law. In 2023, Cutrona introduced a similar bill while serving in the Ohio State House. His legislation had the backing of NRA, Buckeye Firearms Association, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation, but it failed to make it out of committee. This year's version, which was just introduced on Wednesday, has been assigned to the Senate Ways and Means Committee but has yet to receive a hearing date. 

No matter how supportive of the Second Amendment lawmakers claim to be, anytime you start talking about allowing taxpayers to keep their money instead of handing it over to the state you're going to run into at least some opposition. The Republican legislature did cut the state's income tax in 2023, and last year Gov. Mike DeWine warned that the state was taking in less revenue than anticipated. 

Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima), who pushed for the tax cuts in the budget, said it is a significant issue.

“The question at the moment is why? And some of it has to do with refunds and some of it has to do with is the economy slowing down," Huffman said last week.

House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) said it's hard to forecast a budget two to three years out: "And sometimes you get it closer, you have a good month or a bad month, but hopefully it evens out."

The state had $6 billion in surplus cash in the general revenue fund at the beginning of last year. Some of that unspent federal COVID relief money. Both Huffman and Stephens have talked up the state's financial position. Stephens praised the "good budget" just before it passed last June, and Huffman said in an interview about the sustainability of universal school vouchers that "the state has plenty of money."

DeWine and other state lawmakers said they are watching the revenue coming into the state. But they said they aren’t overly worried that the state will have to make major cuts because of the shortfall. 

While Ohio isn't wrestling with major budget deficits at the moment, lawmakers may be reluctant to give up any more revenue, no matter how targeted it might be. If gun owners want to see Cutrona's bill become law now would be a good time to contact their state senator and urge them to get behind SB 59, or else this year's proposal could die on the vine just like his last attempt to cut gun owners a break.