Oh, John Kasich, how many times you have betrayed your party, your state, and your country — so many that we’ve lost count.
The most recent entry to the list is the Ohio governor’s announcement that he will veto two bills that are near and dear to the hearts of conservatives who propelled him to victory in 2010 and 2014: The aptly named “heartbeat bill” and “stand your ground” legislation.
Kasich told reporters outside his office Monday that he opposes both bills. If Kasich follows through with the veto threat, this will be the second time in two years he’s vetoed the “heartbeat bill,” which would ban abortions in Ohio after a baby’s heartbeat can be detected. The “stand your ground” legislation would allow armed Ohioans facing a threat or perceived threat to defend themselves with lethal force in public places with no “duty to retreat.”
Kasich, the son of a mailman, signed a 20-week abortion ban in 2016 but vetoed a separate measure that would have protected babies with beating hearts from abortions. He said at the time that the law would have been struck down. “The State of Ohio will be the losing party in that lawsuit and will be forced to cover the legal fees for the pro-choice activists’ lawyers,” Kasich said. “Therefore, this veto is in the public interest.”- READ MORE