I tell you what.
DIS GUY
What a massive pain in the butt some 'Republicans' can be when they get a bee in their bonnets, and Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio is one of the maddeningly worst.
He's like Lisa Murkowski in drag sometimes.
I said something about him the other day regarding his vacillating on the death penalty in his state. He's against it, where he was for it before - so much so that he helped pass the state statute.
Now?
DeWine has been sitting on signing the paperwork for prisoners whom juries had found deserved such a punishment, and, honestly, I get it. It's a solemn and horrible duty to have the fate of a man in your hands, but that's what the jury is for. It's not your decision; it's twelve people who have listened to all the evidence, argued it out, and wrestled with their own consciences. What this person did was demonstrably evil, intentional, and met the threshold for a death sentence.
DeWine, a death penalty advocate his entire career, suddenly sees it differently.
And the other day, he acted on it.
When Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine called on lawmakers to abolish the state's death penalty last week, he wouldn’t tell reporters if he would spare any of the more than 100 people on death row.
Three weeks earlier, however, DeWine quietly did just that for Gregory Lott, a man with intellectual disabilities. Lott, now 64, will spend the rest of his life in prison without parole for the death of an 82-year-old East Cleveland man he set on fire during a home burglary in 1986.
The death row commutation is the first DeWine has issued in his eight years as governor and, together with his call to do away with capital punishment, represents the final steps in his five-decade evolution from death penalty proponent to skeptic.
The decision offered a glimpse into how he might use his power of mercy in the waning days of his final term in office. DeWine signed the order to commute Lott’s sentence on May 27, listing the reasons for sparing his life: the victim’s family had said their faith would not condone killing, the parole board had recommended leniency in 2020 and prosecutors dropped their objections.
Okay. Attack of conscience or whatever the reason, it is causing no end of controversy in the state. And it's far from DeWine's first clash with state legislators of his own party, and, judging by today, it won't be the last.
His first comments after the Supreme Court decision on the Temporary Protected Status decision about Haitians and Syrians raised some hackles.
Like, whose side are you on, buddy?
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine issued the following statement on the Supreme Court of the United States' decision in Mullin v. Doe, regarding Temporary Protected Status (TPS):
— Jonathan Martin (@jmart) June 25, 2026
"Today, the United States Supreme Court issued its ruling allowing Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to be…
"Today, the United States Supreme Court issued its ruling allowing Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to be canceled or expire.
"Today’s decision is a legal decision. As I have stated in the past, the policy to remove these individuals from this country is a mistake.
"As a result of today’s ruling, the over 10,000 Haitians who have been living in Ohio (mostly in the Springfield area) legally through TPS will now be here illegally and will be subject to immediate deportation. This also means that while these Haitians were working and contributing to our community and economy yesterday, today it is now illegal to employ them.
"The situation in Haiti could hardly be much worse. The violent gangs run most of the country. The government barely functions. And, the economy is in shambles.
"Further, our federal government has an advisory against traveling to Haiti, and our Federal Aviation Administration prohibits U.S. carriers from flying there because of the danger to planes of being shot at by the gangs.
"But, more importantly, changing the immigration status of these individuals is not in the best interest of the United States nor Ohio."
It doesn't help Ohio to make the temporary Haitians go home?
Really?
The residents of Springfield, with a huge influx of Haitians that DeWine blames Trump for using racist and hateful rhetoric about, spoke for themselves at town meetings in 2024. Trump had nothing to do with that.
Residents in Ohio are fuming about the cultural clash between locals and Haitian migrants at city council meetings, demanding the city take action on the issue.
Thousands of Haitians have arrived in Springfield since the COVID-19 pandemic, and residents have been pointing to an uptick in crime, mayhem and car crashes due to the massive influx of new residents. In a town of 58,000 people, about 20,000 Haitians have arrived, according to city officials.
"I see what's going on in the streets. And I see you guys sitting up there and, comfy chairs and suits… I really challenge you guys to get out here and do something," said Anthony Harris, 28. "These Haitians are running into trash cans. They're running into buildings. They're flipping cars in the middle of the street, and I don't know how like, y'all can be comfortable with this."
Resident Lisa Hayes, 64, recounted an incident where migrants were bullying her at a supermarket. They blocked her cart and refused to let her pass through the aisle.
"I don't know what kind of label you put on this," she said, perplexed by the incident. "I would like to see them have some common respect."
Residents mentioned how migrants are crowding public areas, hitting people with cars – and some said the city needed to start giving driving lessons.
Resident Diana Daniels blamed cultural clashes for the issues. "Countries… are defined by their culture and their language, not the color. When folks stand up here and describe what is happening to them, they are often painted with the broad brush of racism that has nothing to do with it."
"Shame on you," she told city leadership.
DeWine doesn't live there, and he has always been more weepy about the Haitians than about Springfield residents' complaints.
The people I met in Springfield were begging DeWine to take action so their adult kids could rent houses occupied by a dozen Haitians at a time. He ignored them and treated them like petulant children. This result could not be better deserved. https://t.co/gdI4f52HoS
— David Marcus (@BlueBoxDave) June 25, 2026
Does it have anything to do with the school he and his wife had in Haiti?
Who knows.
Liberal Republican Mike DeWine is one of the most corrupt governors in the country.
— #Palin2028 (@VotePalin2028) June 25, 2026
But that pales in comparison to what else the little man was busy not doing. When he was sniffling over jobs for foreigners, he was busy dissing the legislature again.
You know how John Thune keeps stalling on the SAVE Act and voter ID?
Meet Ohio's smaller, meaner state version.
DeWine just vetoed theirs, requiring voter ID for vote-by-mail, with the flimsiest excuse outside of I don't know what.
#new Ohio Governor – With Deep Ties To Haitian Migrants - Vetoed Bill Requiring Photo ID For Vote By Mail
— Christina Aguayo (@ChristinaNewstv) June 25, 2026
Mike DeWine- who is a supporter of Biden-era Haitian migrants staying and working in Ohio - vetoed Substitute House Bill 472.
Which means he rejected a Republican-led… pic.twitter.com/iCCBmMxOUr
...Which means he rejected a Republican-led effort that would require voters to submit a copy of their photo id when requesting or casting an absentee ballot starting with the November 2027 election.
DeWine issued the veto after the Ohio General Assembly sent him the bill in the final days before summer recess.
The measure had passed the House around June 10 and cleared the Senate 23-10, with one Republican, Sen. Bill Blessing of Colerain Township, joining all Democrats in voting against it
Under current Ohio law, a voter requesting an absentee ballot must give basic personal information, a signature, and either the last four digits of their Social Security number or a full driver’s license number. No photograph is required.
The bill would have given people requesting an absentee ballot three options:
Upload a photo of their ID to a secure online portal run the the Secretary of State’s office
Mail a photocopy of their photo ID to their county board of elections or
Complete an exemption form.
The bill also included an online absentee application option that DeWine called “much needed” but said did not justify requiring photo ID
DeWine saying,
“House Bill 472 would not discourage fraud, would not add any real security and would create an additional and significant burden for Ohioans who vote by mail.”
Holy CRAP.
The bill's sponsors are incensed.
I recently voted to require that Ohioans show photo ID when voting by mail just as they already have to do when voting in person. Democrats claimed this would harm “Granny & Papaw.” I gave the closing argument on the House floor explaining why that’s absurd.
— Brian Stewart (@BrianStewartOH) June 25, 2026
Every time… pic.twitter.com/7V83Vxwn3O
...Every time Republicans improve election integrity, Democrats predict the end of democracy, and then Ohioans make them look silly.
It’s a shame the Governor bought the arguments of left-wing activists - again - in vetoing this important bill.
The countdown 'til he's gone is on.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is facing mass outrage nationwide for VETOING legislation that would require photo ID to vote by mail. pic.twitter.com/DMXMkkDjV8
— Scott Adams (@scottadamsshow) June 25, 2026
At least the TPS decision was out of his purview.
They won't be allowed to eat our cats, dogs & ducks any longer. pic.twitter.com/J94karuL78
— ScaryHobbit (@ScaryHobbit) June 25, 2026
And all God's creatures rejoice.
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