By Halena Sepulveda
Broadcast version by Emily Scott reporting for the Kent State-Ohio News Connection Collaboration.

Even though Ohio has been relaxing gun laws for years, some fear the "constitutional carry" bill that was signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine this week, could lead to more domestic violence incidents around the state.

"We are actually worried about the increase in loss of life," said Michaela Deming, Policy Director for the Ohio Domestic Violence Network.

On March 14, Gov. Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 215 into law. It eliminates the requirement that all individuals carrying a concealed weapon obtain a concealed carry license and complete the proper training to receive a permit. It is the latest law loosening gun restrictions in Ohio. In 2015, HB 234 relaxed requirements to obtain a concealed carry permit. In 2017, the state enacted Senate Bill 199, also referred to as Ohio's "campus carry bill," allowing firearms on university campuses, and in April 2021 Senate Bill 175, the "stand your ground" law was passed, making Ohio the 36th state to no longer require individuals to retreat before using a firearm in self-defense.

Ohio's Lack of Restrictions

As of March 2021, Ohio has no state laws that prohibit individuals convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors from possessing a firearm. The state also has no laws requiring the removal of a firearm from individuals after the issuance of a domestic violence protective order unless the firearm has been used to threaten or harm victims.

However, the state does adhere to federal law when dealing with previously convicted individuals possessing firearms.

Federal legislation such as the Lautenberg Amendment works to give a general blanket of protection regarding gun laws no matter what state an individual lives in. The Lautenberg Amendment declares it a felony on a federal level for any individual previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence to possess a firearm.

Due to this application of federal law, the Ohio legislature has not left domestic violence victims completely defenseless regarding gun laws and restrictions placed on people convicted of domestic abuse. But Dr. Michelle Grim, chair of Toledo City Council's Health Promotion and Access Committee, says abusers have found ways to get around these restrictions.

"Ohio has some pretty weak domestic violence firearm laws," says Dr. Grim. "There are a lot of loopholes."

One loophole in the Lautenberg Amendment, which Dr. Grim referred to as "the Boyfriend Loophole," only prevents individuals with previous misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence from possessing a firearm when the offender was a current or former spouse of the victim, currently lived with the victim, was similarly situated with a spouse, guardian or parent of a victim or shared a child with the victim. This meant that individuals who committed domestic violence on a partner with whom they did not live or share a child were still able to purchase and possess a firearm.

Gun Laws in Domestic Violence Cases

After the passing of the Stand Your Ground Law in April of last year, Ohio reported a total of 131 domestic violence fatalities in the year period beginning July 1, 2020, and ending June 30, 2021; this being the most recent data collected on a statewide level that depicts the correlation between gun laws and domestic violence fatalities.

On a national level, states that have enacted laws prohibiting individuals convicted of any violent misdemeanor from possessing a firearm were met with a 21% reduction in firearm intimate partner homicide. This shows that stricter gun laws can directly impact domestic violence fatality rates, something for which many Ohio Democrats demand more action.

"There is an 11 times higher risk of a fatal domestic violence incident when a firearm is present," Deming says. "Removing firearms from these dangerous domestic violence offenders is one of the best ways that we have of decreasing domestic violence related fatalities in the state."

Deming says that in the state of Ohio, around 86% of domestic violence fatalities are perpetrated with a gun. Studies show that nationally, an average of 70 women are shot and killed by an intimate partner every month. Domestic violence organizations across the state worry that the passing of SB 215 could result in an even greater increase in domestic violence fatalities.

What SB 215 Will Change in Ohio

Under the new legislation, three basic changes will be made to the state's gun laws that will affect individuals across the state of Ohio:

● Ohioans no longer need training or a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
● People carrying concealed weapons do not need to carry a license with them.
● Gun owners no longer need to promptly notify police officers of the presence of a firearm.

The legislation, also known as "constitutional carry," has been a goal for many firearms organizations and lobbyist groups on both a national and state level. The Buckeye Firearms Association in Ohio is one proponent of the bill and argues that the bill has no correlation in the case of domestic violence fatalities or instances.

"It [SB 215] won't change who can own a firearm," says Executive Director Dean Rieck. "The same laws apply right now that will apply later." Rieck stresses that will not have an effect on who can legally possess a firearm, but only where they can take it.

"Domestic violence is happening in the home, we're talking about carrying outside of the home. I see zero relationship between those two things," he said.

On the other hand, Ohio Democrats called on Governor DeWine to veto the bill, fearing the negative consequences it could have on a statewide level.

"There's gun violence everywhere," says Dr. Grim, who stressed the importance of calling attention to and discussing the impacts of gun violence in all parts of the state. "It's not just our cities, it's our rural areas [too]."

Along with members of the Ohio Domestic Violence Network and other domestic violence organizations statewide, The Ohio Fraternal Order of Police and The Ohio Mayor's Alliance opposed S.B. 215 due to, among other reasons, the burden individuals such as Dr. Grim feels it places on law enforcement.

"It's going to be a dangerous situation for citizens and also for police officers," she said.

This collaboration is produced in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the George Gund Foundation.

The giving season offers Ohioans an opportunity to reflect on the importance of supporting community services.

For survivors of sexual violence in rural Ohio, donations are critical in maintaining vital resources. In 2023, donations made up about 1% of incoming funds to the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence.

Taylr Ucker-Lauderman, chief engagement officer of the alliance, explained rural areas face unique challenges.

"We've known for a while that there are service gaps there," Ucker-Lauderman pointed out. "We still need to provide crisis services like legal aid, like housing, medical services, and we don't want to lose any momentum. We want to keep our work going."

Rural areas often lack the resources available in urban centers, creating barriers to critical services such as transportation and crisis support. The coalition emphasized the importance of believing survivors and supporting them on their journey toward healing. Ucker-Lauderman acknowledged while grants and foundation resources fund most of the coalition's efforts, there are still remaining areas requiring additional support.

The organization has also prioritized empowering survivors through storytelling workshops, offering tools to help them reclaim their narratives.

Shelby Lieber, survivor coordinator for the alliance, emphasized the importance of such efforts, especially in rural communities, where stigma often silences survivors with notions like, "It doesn't happen here" or "If it does, it stays behind closed doors."

"We want to make sure that you're hearing survivor voices," Lieber stressed. "That way, other survivors can come forward and say, 'This happened to me and I'm ready to start healing.'"

The Alliance recently concluded a three-year project focusing on rural Ohio, addressing service barriers and increasing local capacity. These efforts underscore the resilience of Ohio's rural communities and the ongoing need for resources to foster healing and change.

More than 60% of sexual assaults are never reported to police, due to concerns like fear of retaliation or negative social interactions. But Nebraska advocates say there are resources to help with confidentiality issues.

These reminders come amid heightened concerns about threating behavior women experience online.

Katie Welsh is the vice president of programs for Omaha's Women's Center for Advancement - which works with survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and stalking.

She said advocacy groups and law enforcement are learning more about the overlap between online harassment and physical abuse.

"It's kind of a new frontier in many ways," said Welsh. "While it may start where the victim and abuser are geographically separated and are communicating online, that it often leads to them meeting up so that the abuser can assert power and control."

Welsh said in its worst form, this can include sexual violence.

No matter the situation, she said anyone targeted can call the Women's Center's 24/7 crisis hotline (402-345-7273) where a confidential advocate works with the survivor ready to report what happened.

The Women's Fund of Omaha also stresses that reporting can happen anonymously, and the website sexualassaulthelp.org is another resource.

The website notes the survivor isn't required to provide any identifying information to law enforcement.

In other situations, Welsh acknowledged the challenges that sometimes come up when a survivor reports an assault or harassing behavior, and is bombarded with threatening online messages afterwards.

"Those online interactions are hard to shut off, you know," said Welsh. "They can from a lot of different sources - email, social media."

She said taking down social media profiles and changing email addresses might help ward off online harassment.

Welsh added that taking screenshots of online threats and daily notes about interactions can help when reporting them to authorities.

Sexual violence remains a significant concern in Ohio, and specialized teams, such as Sexual Assault Response Teams and Coordinated Community Response Teams, are designed to provide critical support to survivors. Now, a new study aims to assess the effectiveness of these teams and identify gaps in service.

Nicole Kass Colvin, director of coordinated community responses with the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence said this research is essential.

"We are really hoping to get some information on what teams exist and what we can do to make our teams really effective across the state of Ohio. It takes all of us to end sexual violence," she explained.

While the teams aim to provide holistic support, there is limited Ohio-specific data on their effectiveness. The survey tied to this research seeks to gather information about how these teams are structured and where they could improve. Some question whether this approach alone can address all the challenges faced by survivors without more resources.

Anna Ressler, assistant professor at Miami University is leading the research, and explained that while the teams are known to be valuable, the details of how they operate effectively are still unclear.

"There's a lot of research that shows that these teams are necessary. But we don't know what constitutes an effective team," she said.

The study's results are expected to inform improvements in services for survivors across Ohio. Those involved in these response teams, or those interested in starting one, are encouraged to participate in the survey, contributing to this important research and Ohio's ongoing efforts to address sexual violence.