Ohio Gov. John Kasich announced Monday that he plans to "take action" to improve the state's ability to keep guns away from criminals.

"In too many communities, convictions aren't uploaded to the National Criminal Background Check system as they should be. This afternoon, I'll take action to help close this gap to keep weapons out of the wrong hands in our state," Kasich tweeted.

Asked for further details, Kasich's office declined to elaborate Monday morning and pointed to the governor's afternoon news conference, where he is expected to address the measure.

The announcement comes amid a national debate over gun control sparked by several mass shootings. Earlier this year, Kasich urged President Donald Trump to take action in the wake of a mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida. Amid the reaction to Parkland, he also softened language related to the Second Amendment on his campaign website.

Kasich, a 2016 Republican presidential candidate, is also keeping his options open for 2020 amid speculation that he could run as an independent to challenge Trump.