Ohio says licensed gun owners can carry a weapon into city parks

Ohio says licensed gun owners can carry a weapon into city parks. So why does Toledo have no gun signs posted? Whether you go to a park on the East Side or this park in west Toledo, you will find these no gun signs, but that may soon change.

Toledo posted the signs claiming home rule gives the city the right to restrict where legally trained and licensed conceal carry permit holders can take a gun. But back in March, state law changed. Lawmakers said the right to keep and bear arms is a constitutionally protected right in every part of Ohio. So, lawmakers found it necessary to "Provide uniform laws throughout the state" with regard to firearms.

City of Toledo spokesperson Brian Schqartz says, "What this means is that Toledo's home rule provision prohibiting guns in parks doesn't matter anymore. Ohio's state law goes for all the parks across the state including Toledo's."

The city doesn't dispute that but left the signs up anyway. But today we are told the city is reconsidering.

"The signs don't reflect the law as it stands now, so we are going to take a look at taking those signs down."

Cleveland is fighting the state on this issue, arguing home rule allows them to ban guns in parks. The Ohio attorney general's office admits confusion when home rule ordinances come into conflict with state code.

Toledo says it is abiding by state by not enforcing any restrictions. Councilman Mike Craig supports Toledo's ban on guns in parks and says the state is overstepping its bounds by telling the city what to do.

"That's why we set up home rule, so that communities could set their own standards and have their own laws."

Just this week, the sixth district court ruled Clyde Ohio could not use home rule to ban guns in parks. So right now, if you have a conceal carry permit it is legal to carry a gun in any city park in the state of Ohio, regardless of what sign is posted.

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