Monday afternoon (January 4) Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 175, sponsored by Sen. Tim Schaffer.
SB 175 will grant civil immunity to nonprofit corporations for certain injuries, deaths, or losses resulting from the carrying of handguns and to expand the locations at which a person has no duty to retreat before using force under both civil and criminal law.
Governor DeWine noted that he believes law-abiding citizens have the right to protect themselves from harm or even death when needed.
“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,” he said. “While campaigning for Governor, I expressed my support for removing the ambiguity in Ohio’s self-defense law, and Senate Bill 175 accomplishes this goal. That is why I have signed this bill today.”
DeWine expressed his displeasure that the legislature failed to include provisions necessary to make it harder for criminals to obtain guns.
“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,” he mentioned. “Right now, the national and state background check systems are sometimes missing vital information – things such as convictions, active protection orders, and open warrants – that alert law enforcement if they’re dealing with a wanted or potentially dangerous individual.”
DeWine said he plans to work with members of the legislature to keep firearms away from the bad guys.
“In the spirit of cooperation with the General Assembly, I have signed Senate Bill 175,” he said. “I look forward to working with members of the legislature in the future to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and to protect the rights of citizens who follow the law.”