COLUMBUS — Property appraiser Kim Bryant clearly recalls the April day when she entered an abandoned Cincinnati house for an inspection.

        After checking the condition of the basement, she was returning up the stairs when four men grabbed her. A neighbor then burst into the house with a gun and Ms. Bryant thought, “Oh my god, now there's one with a gun.”

        As the attackers scattered, Ms. Bryant realized she was being saved. Luckily, the neighbor had seen the men enter the house and became suspicious.

        Last week, Ms. Bryant, of Ross, appeared before Ohio lawmakers, urging them to pass a bill that would allow her to carry a hidden gun for protection.

        Ohio is one of six states that do not allow citizens to carry concealed weapons.

        Ms. Bryant will have to wait months, at least, for the legislature to act. A bill that would allow Ohioans to carry concealed guns after getting a permit will not be up for consideration until lawmakers return from summer break.

        The legislature is largely split on the issue, with most urban lawmakers opposed and rural representatives in favor.

        House Bill 274, sponsored by Rep. James As lanides, R-Coshocton, would require those who want to carry a gun to get firearms training and a background check, and it would bar felons and the mentally ill from getting permits.

        The bill is the second attempt this year by state lawmakers to address the concealed weapons issue. A bill introduced earlier by Rep. Tom Brinkman, R-Cincinnati, would allow any Ohio adult to carry a gun, but it lacks support by key lawmakers.
       

Expert in favor

               In a packed chamber this week, John Lott, senior research scholar for Yale University and an author on national gun laws, testified before a House committee. He said states that have passed similar legislation have seen declines in the rate of violent crimes. Benefits of conceal-carry laws were greatest for women and the elderly who live in high-crime urban areas, said Mr. Lott, who has studied gun statistics from each county in all 50 states.

        Forty-four states allow residents to carry hidden guns, including Kentucky, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Indiana.

        The charge by critics that more people carrying guns will lead to more violence is unfounded, Mr. Lott said.

        “You never see anyone with a permit engaging in any of these attacks. By any measure, these people are very law-abiding,” Mr. Lott said.

        Some lawmakers remain un convinced.

        Urban Democrats, including Sen. Eric Fingerhut of Cleveland, have led the opposition, calling the bill a terrible idea, arguing it would cause more shootings in Ohio.

        “When somebody is allowed to carry a gun, that is going to take an argument or dispute and turn it into a violent situation,” Mr. Fingerhut said.
       

Wants more regulation

              

        He said a background check is not enough to ensure Ohioans who pose a threat don't carry a weapon. Local police should have the discretion to deny permits to those they believe to be dangerous even if they have no criminal record, he said.

        “It is already against the law to own a gun if you have a criminal record — (the bill) is simply restating the law,” Mr. Fingerhut said.

        The proposal was sent to a House subcommittee last week for possible changes. Lawmakers will break for summer in two to three weeks and take up the proposed gun law when they return in the fall.

        “This gives us an opportunity to get some work done on it over the summer,” said Rep. John Willamowski, R-Lima, who chairs the Civil and Commercial Law Committee which is reviewing the proposal.

        In the meantime, Ms. Bryant said, although she often feels her life is in danger, she has no choice but to continue working.

        “Most of the time I don't know what I'm going into,” she said.

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