Gov. Mike DeWine weighs in on death penalty, redistricting, abortion, DEI and more

Ohio likely won't execute another prisoner on Gov. Mike DeWine's watch, but that doesn't mean the Republican governor wants to wage a political battle to officially end the death penalty.

DeWine, a former county prosecutor who co-sponsored Ohio's death penalty law as a state lawmaker, said he now believes capital punishment is less of a deterrent than he once did.

"With the long time that it takes even if a state does have an active death penalty between the occurrence of the crime and the execution, one has to wonder, what deterrent effect there really is," DeWine told the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau in a sweeping interview that touched on several of the state's hot topics.

Companies have threatened to block the sale of all drugs to states that use some for executions. That's a risk DeWine isn't willing to take. The effect: Ohio has a de facto ban on executions.

A group of bipartisan senators have introduced Senate Bill 101 to end the death penalty in Ohio, removing the option from state law. It has yet to receive a hearing.

"I just don't think there has been any kind of sense of urgency to take action in this area," said DeWine, adding that he would rather focus on less controversial and more effective ways of deterring violent crime. "You can pick and choose what you want to focus on."

Does DeWine back a redistricting amendment to replace politicians with a citizen panel?

Rules that Ohio voters overwhelmingly approved to curb gerrymandering in state and congressional districts didn't work. DeWine said one solution is taking politicians, including lawmakers and statewide elected officials like himself, out of the process.

In 2022, the Ohio Supreme Court repeatedly rejected districts that DeWine and others approved as unconstitutional gerrymandering that unfairly favored Republicans. The legal fights ended after the U.S. Supreme Court vacated a decision that struck down the congressional map, and later, Republicans and Democrats approved statehouse maps for 2024.

Even so, DeWine said the current redistricting process is flawed. "People thought it was going to work. It had bipartisan support, but it just didn't work," DeWine said.

Simply dumping politicians won't solve all of the problems, DeWine said. Any new anti-gerrymandering policy would have to address what happens when goals conflict, such as keeping districts compact versus limiting city splits or matching statewide voting preferences.

"The language has to be pretty clear about what requirements are preeminent," DeWine said. "Yes, we want fair, impartial districts. OK, everybody gets that, but what does that mean?"

And he isn't taking a position on a new proposal to replace politicians with a 15-member citizen commission. Proponents are collecting signatures to try to make the November ballot. "I'll announce that after I've had a chance to really look at it."

Should Ohio campuses ban mandatory DEI?

Ohio lawmakers are trying to overhaul higher education to ban mandatory Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion courses and limit tenure, among other changes. Senate Bill 83 awaits a vote on the Ohio House floor.

DeWine said he's keeping an eye on the bill, which has been amended several times. He didn't say whether he would sign it.

"What I expect on our state university campuses is an environment that encourages the First Amendment, that encourages open discussion about political issues or public policy issues," DeWine said. "University settings can be the place where you can go and be exposed to virtually any idea there is."

DeWine emphasized it was important to keep campuses free of hate speech.

When asked what DEI means, DeWine said the term seems to be a moving target. "That's why you don't hear me using that term. I can do better with specifics: how's a student treated? What's the culture? How does the campus administration approach different challenges that they face?"

What's next after Ohio's abortion rights measure?

DeWine opposed Ohio Issue 1, which adds protections for abortion and other reproductive rights to the state constitution. He concluded that most Ohio voters opposed the state's ban on most abortions, which he signed into law in 2019.

"If there had been exceptions for rape and incest, I think it may have changed some folks. I don't know how many," DeWine said.

Moving forward, DeWine said it's important to support pregnant Ohioans with home-visiting programs and guard against any attempt to eliminate the state's law requiring parental consent to have an abortion.

"I certainly would oppose changing those laws," DeWine said of parental consent. "I think those were acceptable before under Roe v. Wade. They should be acceptable today."

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Will Ohioans take gun control to the ballot?

After victories on abortion and marijuana in 2023, will Ohioans take gun policy to the ballot box rather than the statehouse? "I don't know," DeWine said.

The governor is advocating for increasing penalties for repeat violent offenders with firearms and a way for families to ask a judge to remove guns from relatives struggling with addiction or serious mental health issues.

"That would save a lot of heartache," DeWine said of the policy, which has seen little movement in the GOP-controlled Legislature. "The family members know they are either going to kill themselves or kill somebody else."

Will DeWine back the Ohio Fairness Act?

DeWine didn't say whether he would back a frequently introduced bill to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, called the Ohio Fairness Act. He instead touted his policy, which prevents discrimination against state employees.

"We're a big employer," DeWine said. "That's been something that we've done from the word go."

Will Amtrak expand in Ohio?

DeWine said the study looking into expanding Amtrak lines in Ohio will take years to finish. Current proposals include possible stops in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Dayton. That study will help either DeWine or his successor decide whether to move forward with passenger rail.

"I'm very open to it," DeWine said. "We've done everything we can to keep this process going."

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Jessie Balmert is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: DeWine weighs in on death penalty, redistricting, abortion and more