Gov. John Kasich (R-OH) vetoed the Ohio General Assembly’s gun-rights legislation Wednesday, even though the bill was removed of most of its substantial provisions before passage.
As The Ohio Star reported last week, House Bill 228 was stripped of its “stand your ground” measure, which would free gun owners from abiding by a “duty to retreat” law that requires them to stand down in life threatening situations.
After it was removed, the Ohio Gun Owners organization said it was “looking at this thing as a big ‘nothing burger’ now.”
The bill did, however, still include a provision that would shift the burden of proof from defendants to the prosecution in self-defense cases—the current law in all 49 other states.
But Kasich was upset that the bill didn’t include a “red flag” law, which allows the government to seize guns from people who are mentally ill or are considered a danger to others.
“We can’t get it done over there. This really infuriates me,” he said this week, according to The Columbus Dispatch. “Why would I sign a bill that gives more power to gun advocates?”
“For the first time in my lifetime, the possibility of somebody coming through that door and shooting us exists. And we can’t do anything due to rotten, stinking politics,” he added.
Kasich did, however, maintain that he’s still a “Second Amendment guy,” but believes that “there are some important restrictions we need to place on the Second Amendment.”
Lawmakers could override Kasich’s veto, but that would require both a 60-percent majority in the House and Senate, and would likely disrupt some legislators’ vacation plans.
Kasich addressed the veto in a brief tweet Wednesday afternoon.
The goal is to reduce gun violence. Unfortunately, this legislation went too far by creating more opportunities for gun violence to occur.
https://t.co/Se5xQNiK0D— John Kasich (@JohnKasich) December 19, 2018
“The goal is to reduce gun violence,” he said.” Unfortunately, this legislation went too far by creating more opportunities for gun violence to occur.”
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “John Kasich” by Michael Vadon. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Background Photo “Ohio Senate Floor” by John Beagle. CC BY 2.0.
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