The Ohio Supreme Court upheld a 2006 state law that lifted cities' assault-weapons bans and most other local gun restrictions.
Cleveland had challenged the state on grounds that the law intruded on the constitutionally guaranteed right to home rule. The state's highest court ruled 5-2 Wednesday that the law is constitutional and did not infringe on home-rule powers.
The law was passed in a dramatic showdown in 2006 between Republican Gov. Bob Taft and the GOP-controlled Legislature, which overrode his veto.
Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray hailed the ruling.
In a statement, he wrote, "This is an important victory for every gun owner in Ohio. Before 2006, Ohioans faced a confusing patchwork of local ordinances with different restrictions on gun ownership and possession. The General Assembly stepped in, enacting a comprehensive set of rights and responsibilities for every citizen seeking to exercise his or her Second Amendment liberties. We vigorously defended that law, and today the Court upheld it."
