COLUMBUS – Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed a bill that would have allowed residents to set off fireworks on certain holidays.
DeWine, a Republican, did not want to legalize fireworks in Ohio without more language to ensure Ohioans are kept safe.
In his veto message, DeWine referenced a 1996 incident in Scottown, in Lawrence County, where nine people died in a fire at a fireworks store. He noted Senate Bill 113 didn’t require safety measures recommended in the wake of the tragedy while doubling the allowable square footage of fireworks stores.
“SB 113 would be a dramatic change in Ohio law, which would make Ohio one of the least restrictive states in regard to fireworks laws,” DeWine wrote in the veto message.
Fireworks are a threat to those who don't handle them properly. In 2020, 12 of the 18 deaths reported that year were the result of misuse, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Last year, 15,600 people were hospitalized with fireworks-related injuries, a dramatic increase from recent years. Most of those injuries occurred around the Fourth of July.
DeWine's veto comes days after Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks, 24, died because a fireworks mortar hit him in the chest on the Fourth of July in Novi, Michigan.
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With DeWine's veto, Ohio will remain one of the few states that don't allow fireworks shot off by non-professionals. Current state law allows Ohioans to purchase fireworks in the state but not shoot them off here.
Senate Bill 113 would have allowed residents to set off fireworks on several holidays, ranging from New Year's Day and the Fourth of July to Cinco de Mayo and Diwali, a festival of lights celebrated in Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism.
Lawmakers could override DeWine's veto with support from three-fifths of legislators. The bill passed both chambers with enough votes to overturn DeWine's veto.
Ohio lawmakers will review DeWine's veto message and discuss next steps, Senate GOP spokesman John Fortney said.
Jessie Balmert is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Akron Beacon Journal, Cincinnati Enquirer, Columbus Dispatch and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
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