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Ohio Governor Signs 'Stand Your Ground' Law After Suggesting He'd Veto It

WOSU 89.7 NPR News | By Gabe Rosenberg

Published January 4, 2021 at 7:57 PM EST

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, seen in November, has signed a measure into law that removes a gunowner's need to retreat before using the gun in self-defense.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a "Stand Your Ground" bill into law on Monday, backing off his threat to veto the measure after Ohio lawmakers declined to pass his recommended gun control proposals.

The Republican-backed bill, SB175, removes the "duty to retreat" requirement before a gun owner can use lethal force in self-defense. Legislators attached the controversial measure to a bill that grants civil immunity for deaths or injuries from handguns, before passing it during the lame-duck session.

"I have always believed that it is vital that law-abiding citizens have the right to legally protect themselves when confronted with a life-threatening situation," DeWine said in a statement. "I am very disappointed, however, that the legislature did not include in this bill the essential provisions that I proposed to make it harder for dangerous criminals to illegally possess and use guns."

In the wake of the 2019 mass shooting in Dayton, which left nine dead and many more wounded, DeWine had urged lawmakers to set "Stand Your Ground" aside and instead pass a package of what he called "common sense" gun reforms. Among his proposals were to raise penalties against violent offenders caught with guns, expand the ability for courts to confiscate firearms, and improve the state's background check process.

After that "STRONG Ohio" bill faltered in committee, DeWine suggested in late December that he might veto "Stand Your Ground."

"I made my position very clear that we should not be taking up bills like that, when we have bills that have been in front of the legislature for a year where we have really the opportunity to directly save lives," DeWine told reporters at the time.

"Stand Your Ground" has long been a priority for gun rights groups in Ohio. However, Democrats and gun control advocates like Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley urged DeWine to follow through with a veto, arguing that "Stand Your Ground" would make Ohio more dangerous for people of color.

In a statement, Whaley criticized DeWine for folding to the "extreme elements" in his party.

"I can't express my level of disappointment," Whaley wrote. "Gov. DeWine came to our city and stood on stage for a vigil for our murdered friends and neighbors, and then told us he stood with our community in our fight against gun violence. Now it seems he does not."