THE LANCASTER EAGLE GAZETTE by Deirdre Shesgreen Gannett

WASHINGTON — Ohio Republicans expressed strong opposition to the new gun restrictions President Barack Obama proposed Wednesday, saying they would interfere with Americans’ ability to defend themselves.

“We all want to curtail gun violence in this country, but placing more limits on the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens will not solve the problem,” said Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana. “In finding ways to keep guns out of the hands of criminals, terrorists and the mentally ill, we must protect the freedoms guaranteed by the Second Amendment.”

Jordan and others did not comment on the specific proposals outlined by the White House, which include a call to renew the ban on assault weapons, bar the sale of high-capacity ammunition clips and require background checks for guns sold at gun shows and in other private settings. However, Ohio lawmakers made it clear any gun limits would face stiff opposition in the Republican-controlled House.

“I am suspicious of any attack on the rights provided to citizens in the U.S. Constitution,” said Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Columbus. “I wish the president would have given more attention to addressing the underlying cause of these attacks, which is the issue of mental health. His response to the mental health crisis is not comprehensive and is uncoordinated.”

The debate about gun control has been reignited in the wake of December’s shootings at a Connecticut elementary school, in which a gunman killed 20 children and 6 adults. The killer also shot his mother and himself in the rampage.

The Connecticut shooting seems to have shifted public and political opinion to some degree, but deep opposition remains.

A CNN/Time Magazine/ORC International poll released Wednesday showed a majority of Americans support new restrictions on gun ownership. The survey found that 55 percent favor stricter gun control laws, while 44 percent oppose new limits.

Among Ohio lawmakers, only Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, of Avon, expressed support for new gun control measures Wednesday.

“The president is taking long-overdue action on efforts that improve background checks, ensure more federal coordination, and improve school safety,” Brown said in a statement. “It’s now time for Congress to renew the assault weapons ban, a common-sense effort to prevent the proliferation of deadly, high-powered weapons, and close the gun show loophole that prevents background checks from being conducted to ensure guns are purchased lawfully.”

Brown said Congress also should work to “reduce the stigma attached to mental health treatment and make sure it is available to those who need it.”

Republican Sen. Rob Portman agreed people with mental health should receive proper care but expressed disappointment in the president’s focus on gun control.

“I had hoped the President would look to address the root causes of senseless acts of violence and work with Congress to develop a comprehensive plan to lessen the likelihood of these kinds of tragic incidents in the future,” he said in a statement. “Unfortunately, however, it appears the President has chosen to act unilaterally wherever he can and focus on new, unproven gun bans which would undermine the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.”

Some GOP critics suggested Obama was exploiting the Connecticut massacre for political gain.

“Now is not the time to use this tragedy as an exploitation for the gun control lobby,” said Rep Bob Gibbs, R-Lakeville. “Doing so demeans the memories of those innocent lives that were so tragically taken.”

Gibbs said Obama’s proposals will “take some time to review” but did not sound open to new gun limits.

 “Without debating the specifics of all that the president released today, I want to say that I agree with him that we must identify ways to ensure that our children are safe and protected from those who wish to do them harm,” he said. “However, I do not believe that hampering the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun owners is the way to achieve that goal. We must have a national discussion on treating mental illness and ways to better enforce current laws.”

Rep. Pat Tiberi, R-Genoa Township, said it was up to Democrats to move any legislation forward.

“Congressman Tiberi is reviewing the president’s proposals,” said his spokeswoman, Breann Gonzalez. Noting that Vice President Joe Biden has been working with some Senate Democrats on gun control bills, she said, “Congressman Tiberi believes the appropriate place for the legislative process to begin is in the Senate.”