By Shelley Davis
Enquirer Columbus Bureau

COLUMBUS - Ohioans may finally get the chance to legally carry a concealed weapon now that a bill giving them that right is being pushed through the state legislature.

"It's time to spank that thing on its way," House Speaker Larry Householder, R-Glenford, said Tuesday.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. James Aslanides, R-Coshocton, would authorize county sheriffs to license most Ohioans to carry concealed handguns after they pass background checks and go through testing.

Aslanides said the new legislation would be similar to what passed in the House last March, but was stalled in the Senate, where it might get hung up again this year.

Maggie Mitchell, spokeswoman for majority Senate Republicans, said the bill is not a priority in the Senate because lawmakers will be focused on the budget.

"When (Senate President Doug) White, the speaker and the governor unveiled their top priorities for the session, all the leaders agreed conceal-carry wasn't on top of the agenda. They were laser-focused on the budget crisis," she said.

Fifty-five of 99 legislators co-sponsored the bill, which Aslanides said has an enormous amount of support both in the House and among the public.

It would allow individuals 21 or older without a criminal record or history of mental illness to be licensed to carry a firearm.