Gov. Mike DeWine on Tuesday revealed his stance on the death penalty, ruffling the feathers of many Ohio Republicans in the process.

“I believe Ohio should abolish the death penalty. The Legislature could take this action, and I think they should take this action,” the governor said during a press conference.

DeWine, a Republican leader who has been in Ohio politics for decades, cosponsored Senate Bill 1 to reinstate the death penalty while he was a state lawmaker. That bill was signed into law in 1981.

The Columbus Dispatch reported that DeWine supported the death penalty when he was lieutenant governor, a member of the U.S. Congress, and also Ohio’s attorney general.

“When I voted for the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1981, I believed that in some cases capital punishment could serve as a deterrent to keep some people from killing. For me, it was the moral justification for having the death penalty,” DeWine explained.

He no longer believes it is a deterrent, however, and even said it is “impossible to make the case” today.

More here

Tagged: Partner BACK TO HOMEPAGE