Lawmakers aim to repeal SYG

COLUMBUS — Just two weeks after Gov. Mike DeWine reluctantly signed a so-called "Stand Your Ground" bill into law, two Democratic legislators are pushing in the new Ohio General Assembly term to have it repealed. The passage of Senate Bill 175 during a lame-duck session last month marked a significant policy victory for Ohio gun advocates. The bill removed from state law a person's "duty to retreat" from a confrontation before using deadly force against a perceived threat. The bill passed along mostly party lines, with all Democrats voting against and just four Republicans in the Ohio Senate joining them. Democratic Reps. Adam Miller of Columbus and Thomas West of Canton plan to introduce legislation to repeal SB 175, which they refer to as a "Shoot First" law. In a provided statement, the two claimed this new law could allow minor conflicts to escalate into deadly violence. "One of our most important responsibilities as elected officials is to ensure the safety and security of those we serve, those who sent us to Columbus," stated West, who serves as president of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus. "This law did the opposite — quite simply, its passage made us less safe, especially Black Ohioans and other Ohioans of color." With Republicans still holding supermajorities in both legislative chambers, this repeal effort is unlikely to be successful. But the two noted public pressure to reform Ohio's gun laws following the 2019 Dayton shooting as well as DeWine's own calls for reform. In signing SB175 into law, DeWine stated he was "very disappointed … 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." West added, "When the people of Dayton and others across our state issued us a call to 'do something' following the horrific tragedy in that city, this is not at all what they meant. We hope our colleagues will join us in restoring our neighbors' safety by repealing this dangerous law." Supporting a 'racist law' Swearingen, Stein and Gavarone Local lawmakers — state Reps. DJ Swearingen and Dick Stein and state Sen. Theresa Gavarone — all voted in favor of the law, which civil rights groups and responsible gun rights groups contend will result in more Black people getting killed under the "no retreat" provision. The NAACP provided lawmakers studies that showed the number of homicides increase in states with SYG laws, and whites are 12 times more likely to be acquitted or never face trial when they kill Blacks than are Blacks who kill whites. Gregory McMichael and his son, Travis McMichael, are charged with murder in the February shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery. Glynn Co. Detention Center via AP In February, Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who was jogging in a white neighborhood, was chased down by two white men in a pickup while a third white man followed in a second vehicle and videotaped the encounter. They shot and killed Arbery, and were initially not arrested for many weeks claiming self-defense under Georgia's SYG law. After the video of the kill surfaced, the men were arrested and are awaiting trial on homicide charges. Rights groups contend there are hundreds of similar cases in states with SYG. The state NAACP and every local chapter in Ohio, pleaded with lawmakers to vote down the law. Daryl Murphy, president of the Sandusky NAACP, called it a "racist law." The Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association also opposed SYG. Swearingen, Stein and Gavarone refused to say if they read the studies rights groups provided them, or if they relied on any information that refutes the findings before they voted for the law. The press secretaries for the House and Senate majorities in the Ohio statehouse have not responded to questions about why the law was approved despite the evidence that it will result in more Blacks getting killed. John Fortney, the Senate press secretary, inaccurately refers to it as the "Duty to Retreat" law, even though it eliminates the duty to retreat. SYG is "cookie cutter" legislation promoted across the country by the National Rifle Association. It was originally called "Make My Day," and more recently has been referred to as "Chase and Kill" and "Shoot to Kill." Gavarone, in a social media posts, has misrepresented the impact of the law and also suggested a right-wing blogger from Northern Virginia affiliated with the NRA has the best information about SYG. All three lawmakers declined to say if they ever talked to rights groups, or their colleagues of color who opposed the law before they voted for it. * Register editor Matt Westerhold contributed to this story. For more news from Columbus go to ohiocapitoljournal.com