During his hour-long address, DeWine also doubled down on calls on lawmakers to pass measures to prohibit distracted driving and toughen penalties for convicted felons who use guns to commit violent crimes.
Gov. Mike DeWine delivers his 2022 state of the state address in the Ohio House chamber on Wednesday, March 23. COLUMBUS, Ohio — During Gov. Mike DeWine’s first state of the state address since the start of the coronavirus crisis, the governor focused mostly on non-pandemic issues, calling for more funding for Appalachian counties, mental-health initiatives and state parks, among other things.
Legislative leaders indicated general support for many of the governor’s ideas, though they noted that most of the governor’s new spending proposals have yet to be released -- including how much they would cost, and where the money would come from. DeWine also did not talk about the rest of his “Strong Ohio” gun-reform plan, which was once the governor’s top legislative priority but was dead on arrival upon reaching the Republican-dominated legislature. Rather, he scoffed at “defunding the police” and noted thatto provide grants to police and other first responders.
Asked about House Bill 283, DeWine’s long-pending proposal to toughen state distracted-driving laws, House Speaker Bob Cupp, a Lima Republican, said the legislation is “probably very close” to having enough votes to pass the House. However, Senate President Matt Huffman, also a Lima Republican, noted that he has been opposed “at least conceptually” to the distracted-driving bills because of civil-liberties concerns and because existing traffic-safety laws are enough to address the problem.
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Gov. Mike DeWine finally gives his second state of the state address Wednesday: Here’s what to expectWhile his administration declined to provide specifics about what the governor will speak about, DeWine said last week that he’ll return to the forward-looking optimism that was a big part of his first speech in 2019.
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Gov. Mike DeWine finally gives his second state of the state address Wednesday: Here’s what to expectWhile his administration declined to provide specifics about what the governor will speak about, DeWine said last week that he’ll return to the forward-looking optimism that was a big part of his first speech in 2019.
Read more »