103 Mayors Urge Ohio General Assembly to Close Gun Show Loophole
Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a bipartisan coalition of more than 650 American mayors, announced today that 103 Ohio mayors have joined the coalition to fight crime in their communities by reducing the spread of illegal guns and preventing gun violence. The coalition believes much more can be done to keep guns out of the wrong hands while still respecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. Upon reaching the milestone of more than 100 members, Ohio mayors renewed their call for the Ohio House of Representatives to enact House Bill 263, legislation that would close the gun show loophole. HB 263 would correct a gap in federal law that allows private sellers at gun shows and elsewhere to do so without first conducting a background check.
"As mayors, we see firsthand the devastating effects that illegal guns have on our communities," said Mayor Michael B. Coleman of Columbus, chair of Ohio Mayors Against Illegal Guns. "The size and diversity of our coalition is a testament to the widespread support here in Ohio for HB 263 and other common-sense gun laws."
The members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns represent Ohio's biggest cities and some of its smallest towns. Altogether the coalition mayors represent more than 3.2 million Ohio citizens from across the state.
"With more than 100 Ohio members, Mayors Against Illegal Guns shows that mayors from across Ohio--big cities and small towns, Republicans, Democrats, and independents--can agree on common sense solutions to help prevent gun violence and protect our citizens and law enforcement officers," said Orville Mayor David Handwerk.
Since its inception in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 mayors to more than 650 mayors from across the country. The bipartisan coalition has united the nation's mayors around these common goals: protecting their communities by holding gun offenders accountable; demanding access to trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat illegal gun trafficking; and working with legislators to fix gaps, weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other prohibited purchasers to get guns.
Ohio Members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns:
Mayor Dan Pillow, Addyston, Ohio
Mayor Donald Plusquellic, Akron, Ohio
Mayor Lynn E. McGill, Aurora, Ohio
Mayor Ronald A. Bischof, Barnesville, Ohio
Mayor Merle S. Gorden, Beachwood, Ohio
Mayor Daniel Pocek, Bedford, Ohio
Mayor Fletcher Berger, Bedford Heights, Ohio
Mayor Eric W. Fulcomer, Bluffton, Ohio
Mayor John Licastro, Bratenahl, Ohio
Mayor Samuel J. Alai, Broadview Heights, Ohio
Mayor David Seagraves, Brookville, Ohio
Mayor Lowell E. Anderson, Caldwell, Ohio
Mayor William J. Healy II, Canton, Ohio
Mayor Tammy D. Drobina, Carroll, Ohio
Mayor Diana Stockmaster, Centerburg, Ohio
Mayor Mark Mallory, Cincinnati, Ohio
Mayor Frank Jackson, Cleveland, Ohio
Mayor Edward Kelley, Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Mayor Danny Stacy, Cleves, Ohio
Mayor Michael Coleman, Columbus, Ohio
Mayor David Sharrock, Crestline, Ohio
Mayor William Armentrout, Creston, Ohio
Mayor Gary D. Leitzell, Dayton, Ohio
Mayor Gary L. Comer, DeGraff, Ohio
Mayor Terry L. Lindeman, Doylestown, Ohio
Mayor Gary Norton, East Cleveland, Ohio
Mayor James P. Swoger, East Liverpool, Ohio
Mayor Patricia Burnside, Englewood, Ohio
Mayor Bill Cervenik, Euclid, Ohio
Mayor Thomas H. Nagel, Fairborn, Ohio
Mayor Charles H. Johnson, Forest Park, Ohio
Mayor Gary Middlemus, Frazeysburg, Ohio
Mayor Kirk Emmert, Gambier, Ohio
Mayor Dave Nelson, Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio
Mayor Mark Williams, Genoa, Ohio
Mayor Alan Zaffiro, Golf Manor, Ohio
Mayor Ray E. DeGraw, Grandview Heights, Ohio
Mayor Gary Lee Young, Greenville, Ohio
Mayor Lance Westcamp, Groveport, Ohio
Mayor Richard L. Verga, Harveysburg, Ohio
Mayor Clifford Mason, Hebron, Ohio
Mayor Larry Haver, Hicksville, Ohio
Mayor Lou Bertrand, Hiram, Ohio
Mayor Susan J. Pelkowski, Holloway, Ohio
Mayor William A. Currin, Hudson, Ohio
Mayor Rich Blankenship, Ironton, Ohio
Mayor Jerry Fiala, Kent, Ohio
Mayor Deborah Neale, Lakeline, Ohio
Mayor David J. Berger, Lima, Ohio
Mayor Jo Ann Toczek, Linndale, Ohio
Mayor Patricia A. Fallot, Louisville, Ohio
Mayor Joseph M. Cicero Jr., Lyndhurst, Ohio
Mayor Donald Kuchta, Macedonia, Ohio
Mayor Steve Adams, Malvern, Ohio
Mayor Joe A. Matthews, Marietta, Ohio
Mayor Bruce G. Rinker, Mayfield Village, Ohio
Mayor Robert Schwab, McComb, Ohio
Mayor Glenn W. Holmes, McDonald, Ohio
Mayor Richard Cain, Mineral City, Ohio
Mayor James B. Waller, Minerva, Ohio
Mayor Steven L. Yagelski, Montpelier, Ohio
Mayor Susan Renda, Moreland Hills, Ohio
Mayor Charles Neff, Mount Sterling, Ohio
Mayor Mike Porter, Mt. Gilead, Ohio
Mayor Robert Benson, Navarre, Ohio
Mayor James A. Friel, Newcomerstown, Ohio
Mayor Daniel R. Brooks, North College Hill, Ohio
Mayor Terrance J. McConnell, North Kingsville, Ohio
Mayor Ed Klco, North Perry, Ohio
Mayor Kathy Mulcahy, Orange Village, Ohio
Mayor David T. Handwerk, Orrville, Ohio
Mayor Billy R. Spencer, Piketon, Ohio
Mayor Timothy Redden, Plymouth, Ohio
Mayor Timothy Sicafuse, Poland, Ohio
Mayor Vincent P. Leone, Port Clinton, Ohio
Mayor David A. Malone, Portsmouth, Ohio
Mayor Daniel J. Ursu, Richmond Heights, Ohio
Mayor William Nibert, Richwood, Ohio
Mayor William R. Flaute, Riverside, Ohio
Mayor John Berlin, Salem, Ohio
Mayor Robert Newhart, Shadyside, Ohio
Mayor Earl M. Leiken, Shaker Heights, Ohio
Mayor Patrick C. Monahan, Shawnee Hills, Ohio
Mayor John Smith, Silverton, Ohio
Mayor Georgine Welo, South Euclid, Ohio
Mayor Matthew Brett, South Russell, Ohio
Mayor Warren Copeland, Springfield, Ohio
Mayor William C. Burkhardt, St. Bernard, Ohio
Mayor Domenick Mucci, Jr., Steubenville, Ohio
Mayor Clayton Weller, Sugarcreek, Ohio
Mayor Michael P. Bell, Toledo, Ohio
Mayor Scott D. Washburn, Upper Sandusky, Ohio
Mayor Mary Myers, Verona, Ohio
Mayor Daniel V. Wilczynski, Walbridge, Ohio
Mayor Doug Franklin, Warren, Ohio
Mayor Doug Shaw, Wauseon, Ohio
Mayor Ann Schreiner, West Millgrove, Ohio
Mayor Kim Maggard, Whitehall, Ohio
Mayor William A. Margalis, Wickliffe, Ohio
Mayor Richard J. Bonde, Willowick, Ohio
Mayor Barry Porter, Wyoming, Ohio
Mayor Chuck Sammarone, Youngstown, Ohio
Mayor Jeff Tilton, Zanesville, Ohio
