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By Kathy Wray Coleman, associate publisher, editor in chief. Coleman trained for 17 years as a reporter with the Call and Post Newspaper and is an investigative and political reporter with a background in legal and scientific reporting. She is also a former 15-year public school biology teacher.

COLUMBUS, Ohio– Amid opposition from Democrats and Black leaders and Civil Rights organizations, Ohio GOP Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday signed into law, a controversial bill pushed by Republican state lawmakers that amends and expands a previous "stand your ground" law adopted by lawmakers in 2008.

Senate Bill 175 eliminates the “duty to retreat” in a car or home  before using force in self-defense that was required via the 2008 law and expands the places upon which a civilian can use a firearm or other deadly force to hurt or kill somebody in self defense.

The governor said he signed the GOP bill under pressure, and with reservations.

“It is vital that law-abiding citizens have the right to legally protect themselves when confronted with a life-threatening situation,” DeWine said in a press release on Monday.

Ohio is the 36th state to pass "stand your ground" legislation that eliminates the duty to retreat before hurting or killing someone in self defense.

The NAACP,  Black leaders, and anti-gun violence advocates, and even some prosecutors have consistently opposed "stand your ground" measures as bad policy, if not outright racist.