DeWine's school safety plan includes mental health, building improvements; guns off table

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Speaking to reporters for the first time since the Uvalde, Texas, shootings, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine outlined school safety plans, which include improving school building safety but don’t touch gun regulations.

DeWine said the state legislature has essentially tied his hands when it comes to certain issues. He said he’s committed to proposing laws that can actually get passed.

“Yes, there’s a ton of guns out there, that’s the way it is, but we need to focus on the violent criminals, we need to focus on the people who have mental health problems,” he said.

DeWine admitted that improving school building safety will be an expensive proposition.

“It's going to be a significant amount of money,” he said. “Let me just simply say, we need to be able to be willing to spend the money that we need to spend.”

He also called for more mental health training for teachers and tougher sentences for repeat violent offenders.

But DeWine acknowledged that the state legislature, which is dominated by lawmakers of his own Republican party, won’t pass gun control.

“Instead of spending time on something I can’t get done, I’m going to spend time on something I can get done," DeWine said.