As Ohio lawmakers return for a final week of their lame duck session, Gov. Mike DeWine is hinting he’ll veto a controversial gun bill they sent to him last week. If he does reject the so-called "Stand Your Ground" bill, lawmakers may not be able to do anything about it.
In a call with reporters this weekend, DeWine said he’d have a lot more to say about the bill this week.
"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 said.
DeWine mentioned a provision aimed at stopping the sale of guns to people legally prevented from having weapons by ensuring that information is immediately entered into state and national databases. That’s part of the "STRONG Ohio" bill he pushed after the Dayton mass shooting last year, but which only got three hearings.
The "Stand Your Ground" measure, which was added to another bill that grants civil immunity for deaths or injuries from handguns, didn’t pass by a veto-proof majority in either chamber of the legislature. There isn’t much time for a veto override anyway, as state lawmakers are likely to end the lame duck session this week.
The measure has been a majority priority for Second Amendment groups in Ohio, but is opposed by gun control advocates, as well as a number of Ohio mayors and police chiefs.
