The controversial legislation no longer includes an elimination of the "duty to retreat" for people who find themselves in threatening situations. Opponents argued that removing that language from Ohio code would make it for people to use lethal force in self-defense.
The changes made to means it no longer has the language usually associated with a "Stand Your Ground" bill. Instead, the bill primarily focuses on other parts of self-defense law, including a from the defense to the prosecution in such cases.
While the legislation is now longer a 鈥淪tand Your Ground鈥� bill, Moms Demand Action's Richele O鈥機onnor still has her reservations.
鈥淭here are other things in this law that still do not make us safe,鈥� O'Connor says.
Chris Dorr, with Ohio Gun Owners, was a big supporter of 鈥淪tand Your Ground.鈥�
"Our members and our supporters are looking at this thing as a big 'nothing burger' now," says Dorr. 鈥淚n states where the burden of proof is already on the prosecution to disprove a self-defense claim, gun owners already sit in jail so this idea that we鈥檝e switched that over is a huge get for gun owners, it鈥檚 not."
When asked why the duty to retreat was not eliminated through this bill, Sen. Bill Coley (R-West Chester) suggested that its backers may not have had enough support to enact it. He may have been referencing the ability to override a governor鈥檚 veto.
The bill now goes back to the House, where representatives must agree with the changes for it to go on Gov. John Kasich. He has said he鈥檇 veto any bill with 鈥淪tand Your Ground鈥� language in it.
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