Governor Mike DeWine delivered his 2025 State of the State address this afternoon before a joint session of the Ohio General Assembly in the chambers of the Ohio House of Representatives. Today’s session was attended by both houses of the legislature, the Ohio Supreme Court, the statewide elected officers, the members of the Governor’s Cabinet, and the public.
The Governor started his address, which lasted nearly an hour and half, by stating that Ohio is strong and highlighting recent job creation wins around the state. Most of the projects he referenced were new manufacturing jobs, saying these new factories and jobs are a signal to China and the rest of the world that manufacturing is coming back to the United Stated and that Ohioans will be making the things that keep us safe.
DeWine then encouraged employers to help every Ohioan achieve their version of the American dream, which includes having a job – asking employers to look to employing Ohioans with disabilities, individuals who were formerly incarcerated both in adult and youth facilities, retirees, and individuals who have recovered from mental health and addiction issues. As part of the push to get more Ohioans employed, the Governor has asked Lt. Governor Jim Tressel to work with the state's schools, colleges and universities, the business sector, and government agencies to create a new Workforce Playbook to clear the barriers keeping people from employment and to identify the skills sets, education and talent
needs in each region of the state.
Governor DeWine then transitioned to outlining a number of the policy proposals contained in his recently introduced biennial operating budget bill, House Bill 96, and how those proposals will support the development of the future workforce. As is usual for Governor DeWine, during his time as governor and his public career as a whole, he spent the majority of this portion of the speech focusing on children, families and education proposals. The Governor highlighted several proposals, including:
- Ohio’s Dolly Parton Imagination Library, a signature initiative of First Lady Fran DeWine, has increased enrollment to 70%, up from 60% at last year’s address, with approximately 20 million books sent to kids since the Library’s beginning and encouraged the legislature to continue its support.
- Science of Reading – The Governor noted improvements on reading measures for 3rd, 4th and 5th graders in the state and asked the legislature to continue to support implementation. He noted that approximately 40 schools will shortly receive a new award recognizing their full alignment with the Science of Reading plan.
- Vision and Dental Screenings and Care in Schools – Highlighting the importance of vision and dental health on school success, the Governor asked for funding in the budget to support comprehensive screenings and care for school kids, including getting kids glasses.
- School Healthcare Clinics – Governor DeWine said he is calling on schools to reach out to the Department of Education and Workforce to assist in the creation of more school-based healthcare clinics.
- Ban on Cellphones During School Hours – Governor DeWine recognized former Lt. Governor, now U.S. Senator, Jon Husted, and his wife, Tina, for their crusade against the use of smartphones in schools. The budget would ban the use of all cellphones during school hours by students.
- Drivers Education Training – Governor DeWine’s budget provides funding to encourage schools to offer drivers education, saying that there are higher vehicle crash rates among 18- and 19- years olds than 16- and 17-years olds as many new drivers cannot afford or find convenient drivers education and just wait until they turn 18-years-old to get their license when training is not required.
- Sports Gaming Tax Increase – The Governor touted the proposed increase in the sports gaming tax as a win for all, as the increased revenue will support funding for afterschool activities for students and give the state’s athletic facilities a source of funding that is not in direct competition with schools, mental health facilities and parks.
- Governor’s Merit Scholarship and Guaranteed Admission – DeWine noted how many more of the state’s top students are staying in-state due to the Governor’s Merit Scholarship, saying about 1,700 more students than expected are attending Ohio universities with the scholarship. He added that the budget proposes guaranteeing that those same students will be admitted to the main campuses of the state universities.
During the Governor’s remarks, he took the time to recognize individual Ohioans, including many children and teenagers, who are examples of success for the policies in his budget proposal.
As part of his concluding remarks, Governor DeWine took a moment to acknowledge three legislative leaders who have passed away in the last year, including former Speaker of the House JoAnn Davidson, Senate President pro tempore Kirk Schuring, and Senate Minority Leader Ben Espy. He finished the address by saying that we have the playbook and the team, now together let’s go win.
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