Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday reversed his veto warning and signed a gun rights bill that expands the right to extend “your position” in law.
The bill eliminates the obligation to withdraw before firing out of self-defense anywhere, including businesses, places of worship or demonstrations. The state of Ohio previously allowed residents to only ‘stand their man’ in their homes or vehicles.
DeWine, a Republican, said he signed the bill-backed bill with reservations in a “spirit of cooperation.”
“It is essential that law-abiding citizens have the right to legally protect themselves when faced with a life-threatening situation,” DeWine said in a statement. statement. “However, I am very disappointed that the legislature did not include the essential provisions I proposed in this bill to make dangerous criminals more difficult to illegally own and use guns.”
Last year, the governor called on lawmakers to set aside the bill after a mass shooting in Dayton killed nine people and injured 27 people. The tragedy prompted DeWine to propose a massive overhaul of the state’s gun policy, also known as STRONG Ohio, aimed at reducing gun violence.
The plan, which died after he was on the committee for more than a year, consists of increasing the fines for illegal possession of firearms, removing guns from people deemed to be in danger of injuring people. making and improving state and federal background checks.
In early December, Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl and civil rights groups encouraged DeWine to vote against the “stand your ground bill”, NBC affiliate WDTN reported.
Later that month, DeWine announced that he would reject the ‘stand your ground’ bill, WOSU’s public media reported.
“I have made my position very clear that we should not take such bills into account if we have bills that have been before the legislature for a year, where we really have the chance to save lives directly,” DeWine said at the time. .
The governor’s decision was challenged by gun control advocates, including many civil rights groups and Whaley.
Among the opposition was a coalition of nine national advocacy organizations in Ohio, including the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, Amnesty International USA and March for Our Lives Ohio.
“There is no debate on this bill and these policies: Stand Your Ground laws make communities less safe. They increase violence and homicides and are more likely to be used to ‘justify’ the killing of people of color,” the coalition said in a statement.
“I can not express my disappointment,” Whaley said in “to statement. “Government DeWine came to our city and stood on the stage for a vigil for our murdered friends and neighbors, and then told us that he stood with our community in our fight against gun violence. It seems now as if he did not. “
“Standing” will make Ohio less safe – point. “Our state needs principled leaders who will stand up for what is right – not what is politically easy,” she said.
