By Andrew Keiper
Kent State-Ohio News Connection

Ohio lawmakers are attempting to expand the protections for people who use deadly force to defend themselves, a move that’s stirring controversy across the state.

A pair of companion bills, colloquially known as a Stand Your Ground law, would shift the burden of proof from the defendant to the state in cases where deadly force is used in self defense. Similar legislation was unsuccessfully proposed in 2013.

Sen. Joe Uecker, R-Miami Township, joined with Sen. Jay Hottinger, R-Newark, to introduce Senate Bill 180 in mid-September. The legislation contains four major changes to Ohio law, the largest of which is the shift in the burden of proof from the person who used deadly force to the state.

If passed, prosecutors will be tasked with providing evidence contrary to the defendant’s claim of self-defense.

Uecker acknowledged that the massacre in Las Vegas during the Route 91 country music festival may sway the political energy behind his bill.

“The events of yesterday will certainly play in the public arena,” the senator said. “I think it could influence one way or the other. It’s a sensitive time.”

Although the largest mass killing in modern U.S. history has thrown the country into mourning, Uecker said he’s talked with lawmakers and constituents who voiced support for the controversial measure.

“It corrects this problem in our law, and that’s probably the most important thing,” said Jim Irvine, president of the Buckeye Firearms Association. “It’s a good bill, it’s good public policy, and it fixes multiple problems with Ohio law.”

The legislation also removes the duty for one to retreat before resorting to deadly force, a cause for alarm among some gun control advocates.

“It’s a stand your ground or shoot first kind of law,” Jennifer Thorne, board member of Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, said. “That means that if you feel threatened, then you don’t have the duty to retreat or try something else before using a firearm.”

Other measures included in the legislation is the removal of the requirement for some entities to post signs banning weapons from their property. The last change modifies the obligation that concealed carry permit holders keep their hands in plain sight when pulled over by an officer.

“That’s obviously an officer safety issue that we’re concerned with,” Michael Weinman, spokesman for the Fraternal Order of Police, said. “… With bills like this, the devil is in the details.”

Weinman said he wasn’t surprised to see stand your ground legislation being considered in the Statehouse again. His organization and the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association oppose the current stand your ground bills, just as they did in 2013.

“I don’t see us coming out in support,” Weinman said. “I mean, we could get to a place where we would be neutral.”

Ohio’s political landscape has changed since similar legislation was proposed in 2013, which gives Uecker hope the legislation will be successful this time around. Following 2016 elections, Republicans controlled the governorship, House and Senate in the state.

“What good is it to make a firearm illegal if the bad guys don’t abide by the law,” Uecker implored. “If I didn’t expect it to pass, I would never have introduced it.”

This collaboration is produced in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded by the George Gund Foundation.


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People who are part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, will be dropped from their CoveredCA health plans at the end of August.

The move comes after the Trump administration changed a Biden-era definition of "lawfully present" to revoke health care eligibility for thousands of immigrants.

Christine Smith, policy and legislative advocate for the nonprofit Health Access California, said people only have a few weeks to get medical appointments in before their coverage ends.

"If you're enrolled in Covered California and you're a DACA recipient, the Trump administration just ended your coverage," Smith emphasized. "People should use as much of your health care as you can before the August 31st deadline."

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services defended the move, saying it will save taxpayers money. CoveredCA estimated the change affects about 2,400 DACA recipients in the state who make too much to qualify for Medi-Cal and have jobs not providing health insurance. They can still buy private insurance but it is much more expensive. People who prepaid for their coverage can seek a refund.

Smith predicted it will be a blow not just to those who lose coverage but to the state's health care system as a whole.

"The lines in the ERs are going to be longer because people are not going to be able to get affordable preventive care," Smith projected. "They're just going to get sicker and then end up in the ERs. People will overall incur more medical debt. Hospitals will have more uncompensated care."

The change is nationwide. As of mid-July, about 538,000 people in the DACA program across the U.S. are ineligible to enroll in any state-based insurance marketplace and are unable to access premium subsidies or cost-sharing assistance.

Artificial intelligence is appearing more prominently in many aspects of life and research suggests older populations are curious, yet remain wary of using the technology in their everyday lives.

According to Stats Indiana, there are more than 1.5 million Hoosiers aged 65 and older, or 18% of the state's population. Experts said it is likely the demographic will use AI in some form in the next few years, either by choice or necessity.

Dr. Shaun Grannis, vice president of data and analytics for the Regenstrief Institute on Aging, said AI offers real benefits.

"It can reduce loneliness through conversation, provide reminders for medications and appointments," Grannis outlined. "It can support cognitive stimulation via games, storytelling, news updates."

The technology can also offer a low-pressure way to access information on public services, he added, which is valuable for those with mobility issues or those who feel intimidated by technology.

Grannis cautioned any tool which can be used for good can also lead to problems. He noted AI can create a false sense of companionship and mask social isolation. Overdependence is a legitimate concern, he argued, if the technology becomes a "crutch" for all forms of interaction.

"All cognitive activities or decision-making, it can actually lead to and create a negative feedback loop, lead to a decline in engagement and even basic self-management skills," Grannis explained. "This is risky."

Grannis believes one solution is designing AI systems to complement, not replace, human interaction. He stressed it can be done though building broader support ecosystems including family, friends, caregivers and community services. Grannis emphasized it would encourage real-world activity, prompting the user to go for a walk, call a grandchild or attend a local senior event.

If you have an extra five minutes, you can save a life because you can learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation at no cost from a new mobile, hands-only CPR kiosk.

The new kiosk is in the lobby of Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica. The machine's touch screen gives a brief overview of hands-only CPR and you can practice right there, on a mannequin.

Dr. Rigved Tadwalkar, cardiologist at St. John's, said it is an easy way for people to get more comfortable giving chest compressions in an emergency.

"It's a lot like a video game but of course, a lot more important than a video game," Tadwalkar pointed out. "It gives real-time feedback about the depth and rate of compressions, proper hand placement, which are all factors that influence the effectiveness of CPR."

The American Heart Association operates the St. John's mobile kiosk and a stationary model at L-A-X with support from the hospital. Santiago Canyon College in Orange County also has a mobile hands-only C-P-R kiosk now through September, sponsored by Edwards Lifesciences.

Steven Munatones, an Orange County business owner, said he survived what's known as a "widowmaker" heart attack which led to cardiac arrest nine years ago, thanks to his 17-year-old son, who gave him immediate CPR with instructions from a 911 operator.

"You don't have to put your mouth to anybody's mouth," Munatones explained. "You just put your hand on their chest and pump. He saved me, and others can do the same, anywhere. So, it's absolutely a lifesaving, heroic act that anybody can do."

Statistics show 350,000 Americans suffer from cardiac arrest outside a hospital each year and about 90% die, in part because they do not receive CPR. About 70% of those cardiac arrests happen at home, so people often depend on family or friends to give CPR before an ambulance arrives.