Concealed-carry permit program extended from just churches in Ohio (March 10, 2020)

A free concealed-carry permit program has been extended to include all nonprofits rather than just churches in Butler County.

A Hamilton citizen reported to FFRF that the Butler County Sheriff’s Office was offering free concealed-carry weapons training to churches. The classes were reportedly only intended to be open to church security teams in Butler County.

FFRF Legal Fellow Dante Harootunian wrote to Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones, pointing out that extending a free government benefit only to churches, or even solely to houses of worship, is unconstitutional.

The department, along with local media reports, confirmed these classes will now be offered free to all nonprofit organizations.

Freedom From Religion Foundation