Governor Mike DeWine. Via Twitter.

In a surprise to many, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine actually signed a bill eliminating the duty to retreat for Ohio residents. Previously, the right to armed self defense had been limited to a person’s residence or vehicle. Under the new “stand your ground law,” Ohioans have the right to defend themselves against threats of death or serious bodily harm anywhere they have a legal right to be.

The governor had threatened to veto the stand your ground legislation last year and instead wanted a bevy of new gun control measures sent to his desk.

Of course, anti-gun Democrats sought to pressure the Republican governor to reject the measure. In the end though, DeWine chose to protect whatever shreds of political viability he had with the people of Ohio in keeping previous pledges made during the last election to support such a measure.

Newsmax has the story.

An individual’s duty to retreat before using force has been eliminated in Ohio under a gun rights bill signed by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday despite the governor’s vocal concerns that GOP lawmakers were ignoring his own legislation proposed following the 2019 mass shooting in Dayton.

The measure expands the so-called “stand your ground” right from an individual’s house and car to any place, “if that person is in a place in which the person lawfully has a right to be.”

As recently as last month DeWine hinted he might veto the bill, saying lawmakers should focus on what he sent them instead. But on Monday, he signed the bill in “the spirit of cooperation” with the General Assembly.

“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,” DeWine said.

That, of course, was not what big city Democrat gun-grabbers wanted.

I am extremely disappointed in Governor DeWine’s decision to sign Stand Your Ground into law. This is a dangerous bill that will put Ohioans’ lives at risk. https://t.co/XGoAB8noOr

— Senator Kenny Yuko (@KennyYuko) January 4, 2021

Both residents of Ohio and visitors will benefit from this common sense affirmation of a person’s right to self-defense while outside the home. This means Ohioans who choose to violently prey upon their fellow citizens while committing crimes will find their lives at greater risk. Not the law-abiding everyday citizens of the Buckeye State.