State Senate advances bill giving shooters civil immunity for defense at faith events

COLUMBUS, Ohio – People who use firearms, other weapons or their fists to defend themselves and others from someone with ill intent while at a place of worship would receive civil immunity under a bill the Ohio Senate sent to the House this week.

Senate Bill 32 passed Wednesday with 30 senators in favor and one abstaining. State Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson, a Toledo Democrat whose legislative biography states she’s the music minister at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Toledo, abstained.

The bill hasn’t drawn any controversy. No one testified against it during committee hearings. Organizations in favor included Christ’s Fellowship at Little Miami Church in Warren County, Ohio Jewish Communities and Buckeye Firearms Association.

A few years ago, the General Assembly passed a law providing civil immunity to nonprofit organizations for instances of defensive actions on their premises, said sponsoring state Sen. Tim Schaffer, a Republican from Lancaster, outside Columbus.

But the prior legislation applied specifically to the organization, not individuals. SB 32 bill extends that immunity to people trying to defend themselves, or the nonprofit’s guests or members. Civil immunity would not apply if their actions are concluded to be misconduct, the bill states.

The bill also expands the types of buildings where nonprofits get civil immunity to include buildings churches lease and host properties the churches use for an event.

Schaffer said he introduced the bill after speaking to a constituent whose church has “highly trained members who carry concealed as part of their structured defensive protection plan.” The church members don’t have tort immunity unless SB 32 passes, Schaffer said.

Howie Beigelman, president and CEO of Ohio Jewish Communities, testified in a committee meeting that Jewish organizations have been threatened from the right and the left, and the bill provides a layer of protection.

“We have all seen the explosion of Jew-hatred across America, including right here in Ohio, since the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre,” he said. “FBI statistics bear this out. While Jews are only about 2% of the US population, Jewish people are victims of nearly 60% of religious-based hate crimes.”