Ohio Gov. DeWine Urges Legislature to Abolish Death Penalty
Gov. Mike DeWine says he no longer believes capital punishment deters crime and wants Ohio’s legislature to abolish the death penalty or put it to voters.
COLUMBUS, OHIO — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine called on state lawmakers Tuesday to eliminate Ohio’s death penalty, saying he no longer believes capital punishment deters violent crime, according to the Ohio Capital Journal.
DeWine held a news conference on the subject but stopped short of issuing any executive action himself, instead urging the General Assembly to act legislatively or place the question before voters on the ballot.
DeWine: Death Penalty Is Not a Deterrent
“It is impossible today to make the case that the death penalty is a deterrent,” DeWine said. “I no longer believe the death penalty is a deterrent to murder. … The most effective thing to deal with violent crime is to go after the repeat violent offenders and lock them the hell up, that’s what’s effective.”
The governor did not outline a specific timeline for legislative action but made clear he wants Ohio’s elected representatives to take ownership of the issue rather than leaving it to a citizen-initiated statute.
DeWine Pushes Back on Citizen-Initiated Route
DeWine expressed skepticism about pursuing abolition through a citizen-driven ballot measure, saying that pathway is unlikely to be effective without significant financial backing.
“I don’t think (a citizen-initiated statue) is an effective pathway,” DeWine said. “It seems to me these things, the legislature decides if it gets on the ballot because the legislature pushed it on, unless there’s a whole bunch of money behind it.”
The governor said he would prefer the legislature either pass a bill outright or refer the matter directly to Ohio voters through the standard legislative process.
Bills Already Pending in the General Assembly
DeWine’s call to action comes as several relevant measures are already working their way through the Statehouse. Ohio lawmakers have introduced three bills related to the death penalty: Senate Bill 133, Senate Bill 134, and House Bill 72, according to the Ohio Capital Journal.
DeWine did not endorse a specific piece of legislation at Tuesday’s news conference, but his public push signals a significant shift in posture from the state’s top executive on the capital punishment issue.
Ohio has not carried out an execution in several years, partly due to ongoing difficulties obtaining the drugs used in lethal injections. The state’s death row currently holds dozens of inmates whose cases have been in legal limbo during that period.
