Ohio Governor delivered his state of the state address earlier this week in the addressed COVID-19, mental health, reviving rural areas, and more. In the address, laying out an ambitious plan for the state and its future.
“The sun is coming up in Ohio,” Governor Mike DeWine told a packed room of state officials this week. “The wind is at our back, and together, we have the power to change the course of Ohio’s history.”
Governor DeWine is up for re-election this year in November in the speech he voiced support for the Ukrainian people and families that lost loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Police Funding And Reform
Starting off, Governor Mike DeWine talked about police funding and police reform. Governor DeWine is pushing to use 250 million dollars of the American Rescue Plan Act to fund first responders training. The Governor is also asking the state legislator to fund a permanent program for ongoing training.
Governor DeWine also asked Republican Reps. Cindy Abrams and Phil Plummer to send him a police reform bill to create a statewide database for disciplinary reports, licensing board.
State Parks
Another area Ohio Governor DeWine covered was state parks. DeWine talked about how during the pandemic Ohio residents started to explore and revisit the nearly 76 state parks.
In the State of the State, Governor DeWine did not get into specifics for total funding requests but he did note many of the lodges in the parks are outdated and in need of repairs.
After the State of the State Republicans and Democrats, both expressed support for reviving the state parks.
Mental Health
Governor DeWine spent a chunk of time addressing mental health and addiction issues during his 2019 state of the state, and Wednesday’s address was no different.
“Mental illness remains on the rise in Ohio,” DeWine said. “Suicide is one of the top ten causes of death for Ohioans ages 10 to 64, with the rate rising in rural Ohio and in our communities of color.”
The governor called for a major investment in Ohio’s behavioral health workforce, research, capacity at crisis services providers and outpatient facilities.
Investing In Rural Areas
Governor Mike DeWine also spent some time discussing the need to invest in rural areas of Ohio. Governor DeWine is asking for funding to give rural areas funding for broadband internet and continuing the water investment projects.
COVID-19
Even though the global pandemic dominated headlines in the three years between the governor’s state of the state speeches, DeWine mentioned COVID-19 twice in his one-hour speech.
The governor thanked doctors, nurses, grocery store clerks, retail workers, teachers, and “so many, many others — all of whom have stepped up in countless ways over these past two years.”
Ohio residents will be heading to the polls on Tuesday, May 3rd for the state primaries. Polls open at 7 AM for registered voters.
