A quarter of the Ohio House – all Republicans – have signed on to a new “stand your ground” self-defense bill introduced last month.
That’s setting up suggestions that it could be part of a compromise to pass the gun violence plan backed by Gov. Mike DeWine following the mass shooting in Dayton.
The Stand Your Ground bill eliminates the duty to retreat before using deadly force in a public place. It’s expected that at least a dozen House Republicans are opposed to changes in gun laws, but all but one House Republican voted for the Stand Your Ground bill last year. DeWine says he’d rather Stand Your Ground not be combined with his gun violence bill.
“We hope that it can remain intact. We have confidence in the General Assembly, once they really look at it and dig down deep into what it does, will feel good about it and will pass it.”
DeWine has said he supports Stand Your Ground, but wants his bill considered as is. And sponsoring Sen. Matt Dolan (R-Chagrin Falls) wants that too, and has said he thinks introducing Stand Your Ground right now is “tone deaf.”
