Ohio Governor Calls for Ending Death Penalty

The Republican governor of Ohio called for the state to abolish capital punishment, saying the punishment does not improve public safety and can no longer be morally justified. “I no longer believe the death penalty is a deterrent to murder,” the governor said on Tuesday.

” The governor co-wrote the 1981 law that reinstated Ohio’s death penalty after a 1978 court ruling struck down an earlier statute. The governor has delayed executions throughout nearly eight years in office.

The governor noted that the average time between sentencing and execution in the state’s last 10 cases was 21 years. The governor urged lawmakers to act and said voters could pursue a constitutional amendment if legislators decline. Bills to repeal the death penalty are pending in both chambers of the Republican-controlled legislature, though leaders have not scheduled votes.

A representative for the governor’s office declined to comment on whether the governor would commute the sentences of the 114 prisoners currently on death row.

The governor’s announcement aligns with a pattern of delaying executions and maintaining a moratorium that began after the last execution in 2018. The governor has held roles as prosecutor, state senator, U.S. congressman, U.S. senator, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and governor.

Advocates tracking the issue said the governor’s position could influence Republican legislators. The governor cited accounts from victims’ families and corrections staff describing the prolonged process and past execution problems.