COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the first time in three years, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine delivered his State of the State address to a packed Ohio House chamber Wednesday.
What You Need To Know
- Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine gave a State of the State Address
- It was his first in three years
- Main focuses were on mental health and resources for children
- Democrats wanted to hear more on redistricting and gun control
It was canceled the past two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The governor began his address with support for Ukraine.
“Glory to Ukraine,” said DeWine. “Glory to the heroes.”
He then took time to honor the late former Speaker of the House, William Bachelder, and his family. Bachelder died last month.
Some notable items DeWine talked about was the expansion of child care and telehealth care, support and training for law enforcement, cutting taxes and lowering unemployment.
It wasn’t until about 15 minutes into the speech that he mentioned the pandemic.
“To think we’ve done all of these things during a once in a lifetime pandemic, we did it together,” he said.
The governor acknowledged all those who have died from the virus and all the frontline workers, taking time to honor Maj. Gen. John Harris and the National Guard for their help.
DeWine pivoted to the topic he talked about the longest: mental health.
“We can resolve and change the course of history moving forward by making help visible, accessible and effective in all communities in the State of Ohio,” said DeWine. “We can do this by investing in more resources.”
The governor’s party responded well to his speech, calling it “Positive and exciting.”
Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, said Republicans are ready to work with him on new initiatives, but are weary of the costs.
“Those are things that come from different pots of money,” said Huffman. “But we just need to see what that means on the mental health side, on the mentorship side.”
On the other side of the aisle, Democrats hoped to hear more about redistricting and gun control.
“We know that gun violence is on the rise in many communities in Ohio,” said House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington. “The response we see in this Statehouse only exacerbates that.”
To end the speech on a high note, DeWine talked about the strength of Ohio’s state park system and quoted Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
“We are a really, really good team,” DeWine said.
DeWine is up for re-election in 2022. His heavy emphasis on both mental health and resources for children may be hints at platforms he’ll focus heavily on in the weeks leading up to the May primary.
