9 hours ago
DeWine provides protection for Ohio lawmakers following shooting in Minnesota
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WJW) – Governor Mike DeWine is making sure Ohio lawmakers are well protected following shootings in Minnesota being described as targeted, political attacks, according to Ohio State Senator Casey Weinstein.
Weinstein posted a message of thanks to DeWine on his Facebook page Saturday. He also included his reaction to the events that transpired in Minnesota, where a state lawmaker and her husband were shot and killed, while another state lawmaker and his wife were shot by the same suspect and were hospitalized.
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He later spoke to Fox 8 and shared that minority leader Nickie Antonio reached out to DeWine, and the governor quickly responded. DeWine will beef up security at the statehouse and has Ohio Highway Patrol on guard at the homes of lawmakers, Weinstein said.
'[It] means a lot to me. [It] means a lot to my family. It really is calming and comforting, so I appreciate it very much,' Weinstein told Fox 8.
He also shared that he can't help but draw comparisons in his position to that of Melissa Hortman, the victim of the fatal shooting in Minnesota.
Weinstein explained that a state-level lawmaker usually flies under the radar compared to politicians with bigger platforms, but this kind of targeted attack made him question a lot.
He especially struggles with the thought that perhaps holding a political office could put his family, including his kids, in harm's way.
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Weinstein said that all politicians need to de-escalate and let the situation in Minnesota be a reminder that what people say and do has consequences.
'I hope that, as tragic as an incident that it is, I hope that it awakens people to the fact that our words have consequences and those consequences can cost people their lives. It can result in fear and targeting, and that's not helping anybody. It's not helping democrats. It's not helping republicans. That's not helping anyone solve any problem,' he said. 'It's okay to disagree. It's okay to have policy differences. It's not okay to have violent threats, violent rhetoric, bullying, targeting, because it can escalate into things like this.'
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