COLUMBUS — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine issued the following statement on the recent developments regarding the special session of the Ohio General Assembly:

“I congratulate the Ohio Senate on passing a bill today to both put President Biden on the November ballot, as well as taking strong action to ban foreign contributions in Ohio campaigns. They are both the right thing to do.

“I have been taken aback by how many officials and special interest groups have come out against efforts to ban potential foreign support for ballot initiatives. A reasonable person would conclude from these statements that there are individuals who likely intend to put foreign money into ballot measures this fall and that groups promoting these initiatives might be relying on such support from foreign sources. A foreign contribution ban is needed in Ohio right away to protect the integrity of the Ohio Constitution, our November election, and all future elections. It’s the right thing to do.

“While I understand the Democratic National Committee has just today proposed a work-around to help get President Biden on the Ohio ballot, it is prudent legislation be passed to get this done. As I previously said, we do not want to leave something so basic as having the sitting President of the United States on the ballot to others when this can—and should—be done legislatively. It’s the right thing to do.

“For these reasons, it is important that a bill or multiple bills that accomplish these common-sense measures come to my desk right away this week. It’s the right thing to do.”