Ohio To Make 1.4G Fireworks Legal By 2020??

[pimpdaddee28]

Can't believe there isn't a thread on this yet!!

https://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2017/05/23/proposed-ohio-bill-would-legalize-fireworks-for-private-use

I'm sure every Ohio pyro remembers the proposed Ohio Fireworks Bill back in November/December 2014. It had passed the House, but then it was kinda filibustered by the Senate as it didn't even reach the Senate floor for a vote. We've been waiting several years now for a new bill to pop up and finally...we have one. This new bill would allow the use of all types of 1.4G fireworks and, if passed, the new laws would take effect starting in 2020.

The new bill is pretty much your standard fireworks bill that has the same (or similar) template that all of the other states (that allow the use of 1.4G fireworks) use. Although I read somewhere that in this proposed bill the extra 4% tax only applies to items that are purchased via retail pricing, but not wholesale pricing (I'd like to know from you guys if that's accurate or if other states have that distinction within their fireworks laws).

[chriskrc]

I'm surprised at how long this is taking for Ohio especially with all the fireworks companies located there. Isn't that the homebase of phantom, you would think something would have happened sooner.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

“We know there is no safe way to use an unsafe product. Setting off explosives is a dangerous activity that serves no purpose." "As it stands, around 11,000 people nationally are injured every year in fireworks-related incidents including eight fatalities in 2013 and 11 in 2014."

Typical of the inflammatory rhetoric published by Cleveland "news" outlets. The mantra always seems to be, "we must save you from yourself if what you want to do scares us."

[pimpdaddee28]

“We know there is no safe way to use an unsafe product. Setting off explosives is a dangerous activity that serves no purpose." "As it stands, around 11,000 people nationally are injured every year in fireworks-related incidents including eight fatalities in 2013 and 11 in 2014."

Typical of the inflammatory rhetoric published by Cleveland "news" outlets. The mantra always seems to be, "we must save you from yourself if what you want to do scares us."

They are definitely hilarious.

The Ohio lobbyists (who are against this bill) use stats/incidents from 20+ years ago thinking that this is enough justification to keep the use of 1.4G fireworks banned. These are the same lobbyists that get paid by tobacco/cigarette companies to keep their collective mouths shut when the real citizens argue that cigarettes have affected their lives and the lives of their families. I would simply tell all of these lobbyists that, if they truly believe that fireworks are very dangerous, then they should ban any and every object that can harm/maim/kill anyone at any given time and that they cannot afford to be selective about it.

Obviously that sounds ridiculous, especially when you consider the fact that money is often the big motivator when it comes to these issues and not the concern for the citizen's health and well-being. The Ohio politicians like the current situation because they get to make money off of 1.4G fireworks without having to deal with the judicial aspect of it (since it's legal to buy, but not legal to use 1.4G fireworks). Ohio pyros continue to buy 1.4G, but they also continue to light off what they purchase on the 4th, because no one is able to enforce the law.

I'm still surprised that it has taken this long for something to happen.