Despite reviews that the recent Republican National Convention in Cleveland successfully addressed the safety concerns of the participants and city residents alike, a state lawmaker has proposed a measure to allow cities to enact a ban on firearms for special events such as a political convention.

Sen. Cecil Thomas, a freshman Democrat from Cincinnati, earlier this week introduced Senate Bill 342, which would give municipal corporations authority to impose either a ban or restriction on the open carry or concealed carry of any firearm in a publicly secured area established by the municipal corporation during an event of regional or national significance held in the municipal corporation.

During the opening hours of the party’s national convention, controversy arose over at least one demonstrator who was observed exercising Ohio’s open-carry law by carrying a long gun in the area designated for protestors.

Cleveland’s largest police union asked Gov. John Kasich to suspend open carry on security grounds, according to published reports.

Kasich, however, declined the request, despite media outcry. The controversy subsided as a relatively peaceful convention proceeded.

SB 342 calls for any ordinance enacted under the legislation to specify a procedure by which the city or village will determine what is an event of regional or national significance for purposes of the law, specify a procedure by which the municipal corporation will determine and establish the publicly secured area to which the ban or restriction imposed will apply and specify a procedure for public dissemination of the details of the ban or restriction.

If a city or village enacts such an ordinance, the bill stipulates that notwithstanding an individual’s right to keep and bear arms — a constitutionally protected right in every part of Ohio, the ban or restriction is valid during the event and a person shall not carry a firearm openly or concealed during the event in violation of the ban or restriction.

SB 342 states that neither federal nor state law would limit a municipal corporation’s enactment of such a ban.

Thomas introduced the measure without cosponsors.

The bill had not been assigned to a committee as of publication.