COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Critics are turning up the heat on Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland over his handling of the theft of a state computer data storage device.

The device held the names and Social Security numbers of hundreds of thousands of Ohio taxpayers.

It was stolen from the car of a state agency intern June 10. The intern had been told to take it home for safekeeping.

Kevin Coughlin, a Republican State Senator from Cuyahoga County, was among the first to react after Strickland announced Wednesday that information from an additional 576,000 taxpayers was on the stolen device.

Strickland, a Democrat, confirmed the data included names and Social Security numbers.

The total number of people involved totals 859,000.

In a written statement, Coughlin said the state Legislature should open hearings on the controversy.

“I believe the Legislature should explore the option of an independent review of both the theft and the Governor’s handling of the incident,” Coughlin said.

Coughlin also questions why such important data was not encrypted and was sent home with a 22-year-old intern.

Ohio Republican Party Deputy Chairman Kevin DeWine was also quick to react Wednesday with his own written statement.

DeWine said, “Anyone who praised the Strickland administration for their swift action on this issue should be eating those words right now. The fact that it’s been more than a month since this data was stolen and Ohioans are still finding out who is affected is an outrage.”

Strickland said Wednesday the additional 576,000 names on the stolen device was not known until just recently when a team of state computer experts was able to reconstruct files believed to be on the stolen device.

DeWine, though, said Strickland has been slow to react.

DeWine said, “Gov. Strickland should be embarrassed at how badly this breach has been mismanaged, and yet all we get is another empty assurance that there’s nothing wrong. That would be easier to believe if every week didn’t bring a new surprise that puts another half-million Ohioans at risk.”

Jim.otte@whiotv.com