Ohio governor reverses veto threat, relies on CPRC research in decision to sign state’s new Stand Your Ground Law

Jan 11, 2021 | Media Coverage, Stand Your Ground

Many were surprised that Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed the state’s new Stand Your Ground Law. In December, headlines in Ohio indicated: “DeWine Hints He Will Veto ‘Stand Your Ground’ Bill.” The decision made Ohio the 34th state to have such a provision. Recently it has come to light that the CPRC played a role in the governor’s decision.

Dan Tierney, DeWine’s press secretary, said the governor relied on information Lott provided in an opinion article he wrote published by the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune nearly four years ago. Lott said his research looked at data from all states with Stand Your Ground laws between 1977 and 2012, either through legislation or through court decisions. He said he found drops in murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault rates.

“On average, murder rates fell by about 1.5 percent annually during the first 10 years that the law was in effect,” he wrote.

Matt Westerhold, “DeWine ignoring NAACP?” Sandusky Register, January 7, 2021.

Nikki Goeser

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