COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine continues to express concern about the increase in gun violence impacting children, but Republican lawmakers say they have no interest in adding gun safety regulations.
During his State of the State address Wednesday, the governor said that you can't talk about "the health of children without talking about gun violence."
"We have dedicated hundreds of millions of dollars to help Ohio’s cities and local law enforcement protect Ohio children and citizens through investments in, among other things, new state-of-the-art crime prevention technology and higher staffing levels for their police," DeWine said.
The governor also said he sent Ohio State Highway Patrol, Adult Parole Authority and the Ohio Investigative Unit to work side-by-side with local officers.
"It was wonderful to hear Governor DeWine say he was offering the assistance of state troopers to local communities to help stem the uprise in violent crimes," said Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio President Gary Wolske. "While this offer is commendable, the problem still lies in the amount of guns that are on the streets of our state."
RELATED: Cleveland Police want guns used in crimes off the street faster; new facility to open in June
If there is a problem, the state is there to intervene, DeWine said in his speech.
"To our mayors, chiefs of police, and local public safety directors, our team is ready and willing to surge in and help," the governor said. "Just call us!"
Wolske and the FOP have been under the impression for years that calling, testifying — even pleading — doesn't work.
Law enforcement officers have been begging state lawmakers to stop hamstringing them by passing legislation loosening gun laws — and for DeWine to stop signing them.
"Too many gun laws have been relaxed to the point that we now allow citizens to carry a concealed weapon in Ohio without any training and without the requirement to notify officers they are carrying a weapon," Wolske said. "This has a significant impact on officer safety and with some of the other changes in the law, officers can no longer check to see if a person is under a disability to carry a weapon."
Democrats are also frustrated with DeWine.
"What I'm supremely disappointed about is that the number one killer of children in this state and in this country is guns," House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) said. "The governor spent less than one minute on gun violence."
The minority party holds summits and press conferences and introduces bills to combat the rise in child deaths.
RELATED: Ohio Democrats unveil numerous gun safety bills likely to be shot down by GOP-led legislature
It seems that DeWine has the same goal as the Democrats, yet he has signed every bill loosening firearm restrictions that has hit his desk — even after a mass shooting.
After he skirted our questions during press conferences, we were able to address the concerns in a one-on-one with the governor in December.
RELATED: One-on-one with Gov. DeWine: crimes, complicity, concerns
News 5: "Do you feel like you've been complicit in signing that?"
DeWine: "I again am asking this year, for the legislature to look at the bill that we rolled out right after the Oregon District and Dayton tragedy... Basically, what this bill says is, if you have a member of your family — and it's usually a member of the family who knows something's going on wrong with that person — our bill would give you the right to go into court. You have to convince the judge, then and only then, would the guns be taken away from that individual. And again, you know, urge the legislature to take action on this."
News 5: "But you still signed permitless carry."
DeWine: "Look, I don't think it creates a real problem. The issue is, what are we gonna do going forward?"
DeWine brought up Cleveland as a win in the fight against illicit guns.
"In Cleveland alone, last year we supported authorities in arresting more than 100 suspects and seizing more than 460 illegally possessed firearms," DeWine said.
State Rep. Terrence Upchurch (D-Cleveland) argues that this doesn't paint the full picture.
"The governor mentioned Cleveland today, but us that are living in Cleveland could tell you a different story," Upchurch said. "The stats may say the gun violence is down statewide, but in urban areas — that is all we're seeing, that is all we're feeling."
RELATED: Guns seized in Summit Co. linked to shooting in Cleveland, murder in Illinois
But Republican legislative leaders aren't interested in adding more restrictions to guns.
"I believe in the Second Amendment. That's very strong in the General Assembly," House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) said. "That's one of those issues that, as you look at different towns and cities and villages, is how they approach it... My community is going to be much different than other communities when it comes to teaching people how to respect guns and what they're for."
Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein has been fighting for gun safety regulations. The city requires gun owners to lock up their guns around children when they aren't using them and banned magazines that can hold 30 or more rounds of ammunition.
While Klein and Columbus attempt to require people to lock up their guns, they have been blocked by lawsuits.
RELATED: Ohio court shoots down Columbus gun safety regulations
John Fortney, the spokesperson for Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima), argued against cities being able to decide their own firearm regulations.
"What these progressive Democrat cities really want to do is use a so-called safe storage law to set the foundation for a further restriction of the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Ohioans," Fortney said. "This only leads to a patchwork of gun laws city to city that intentionally can't be followed and turns good guys into criminals."
When it comes to background checks for private sales, he said he had the same answer. Right now, licensed gun dealers must do criminal background checks on purchasers, but private sellers don't.
"Their goal is to choke the Second Amendment and your right to self-defense. When firearms are banned, then only two groups will have them. The government and criminals," Fortney said. "And criminals don't care what the law says"
President Joe Biden just approved a new Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives rule that requires gun owners to get a license and conduct background checks to be able to sell at gun shows or online.
RELATED: New Biden administration rule aims to end gun show 'loophole'
The rule will likely get caught up in court. We are waiting to hear back from Attorney General Dave Yost to see if he will be filing a lawsuit.
We asked DeWine and his team what he thought about Biden's rule, but we haven't heard back.
Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook.
