Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed “stand your ground” gun legislation into law on Monday, expanding protections for law-abiding gun owners by eliminating the “duty to retreat” standard that required a threatened person to flee before deploying lethal force.

“I have always believed that it is vital that law-abiding citizens have the right to legally protect themselves when confronted with a life-threatening situation,” DeWine said in a statement. “While campaigning for Governor, I expressed my support for removing the ambiguity in Ohio’s self-defense law, and Senate Bill 175 accomplishes this goal.”