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There are no markers for this video.
00:00:15But. We
00:00:49forgot to gather.
00:00:59The order.
00:01:01I would like to welcome.
00:01:02You to the Performing Arts
00:01:02center
00:01:05in my hometown,
00:01:05the great city of tonight.
00:01:09I would like.
00:01:09To thank all of my neighbors
00:01:09who have worked so hard
00:01:13to make this evening
00:01:13very special.
00:01:16This time, I would like
00:01:16to introduce to you
00:01:19the president of the Senate
00:01:19and a very good friend.
00:01:23He said.
00:01:34With the members of the House
00:01:35and Senate, please assemble
00:01:35and take your seats.
00:01:40Is there a quorum
00:01:40of the Senate present?
00:01:42The chair recognizes
00:01:45President Pro Tem.
00:01:49Mr. president, there is a
00:01:49quorum of the Senate present.
00:01:52Is there a quarter
00:01:52of the House present?
00:01:55Your chair recognizes
00:01:55Speaker Pro Tem.
00:01:58Mr. president, a quorum of
00:01:58the House is present.
00:02:01A quorum of 130th General
00:02:01Assembly being present.
00:02:05This joint session.
00:02:09Before I ask you all to rise
00:02:11for the presentation
00:02:11of colors.
00:02:13I want to take just a brief
00:02:13point of personal privilege.
00:02:17Members
00:02:17of the General Assembly today
00:02:18have been treated
00:02:18to a first class experience
00:02:22in recognizing the greatness
00:02:22that is required.
00:02:25Many of you have
00:02:25the same thing that I care
00:02:28and recognizing of a true
00:02:28Ohio State.
00:02:31My good friend.
00:03:31Speaker.
00:03:32It's true.
00:03:33You are a hero
00:03:33in your hometown.
00:03:35But your service
00:03:35to the entire state of Ohio
00:03:38for these many years
00:03:38has not gone unnoticed.
00:03:41Thank you for your service.
00:03:43And I also want to
00:03:43thank your young bride,
00:03:46Judge Batchelder,
00:03:46for her service to her nation
00:03:49and our state, as well.
00:04:02And I want to just give
00:04:02a moment of recognition
00:04:02to our other host,
00:04:05Senator Larry Hoff,
00:04:07who is waiting to escort
00:04:07the governor in.
00:04:09He's making a presentation
00:04:09in the back door there
00:04:12between the speaker and Larry.
00:04:13We've had a great day here
00:04:13in Medina.
00:04:15Medina,
00:04:15you're a wonderful community.
00:04:27Now, I
00:04:27would ask that you all rise
00:04:29and join me.
00:04:33As we welcome the color guard
00:04:37for the Pledge of Allegiance.
00:04:40I invite everyone to please
00:04:40stand
00:04:42for the presentation of colors
00:04:43by the Medina
00:04:43County Sheriff's Office
00:04:46honor guard and remain
00:04:47standing
00:04:47for the Pledge of Allegiance.
00:04:49Color guard.
00:05:14White face.
00:05:19Present.
00:05:38I pledge allegiance
00:05:40to the flag of
00:05:40the United States of America.
00:05:43And to the Republic
00:05:43for which it stands.
00:05:46One nation
00:05:46under God, indivisible.
00:05:50With liberty and justice
00:05:50for all.
00:05:54Please be
00:05:55seated. One.
00:06:19Ladies and gentlemen,
00:06:21it is my distinct honor
00:06:21and pleasure
00:06:24to present to you the governor
00:06:24of the great state of Ohio,
00:06:28Governor John Casey.
00:09:47Ladies and gentlemen,
00:09:49governor John Casey.
00:09:58Thank you.
00:10:06Thank you.
00:10:10Thank you.
00:10:13Thank you, Mr.
00:10:14President. Mr. speaker.
00:10:15Thank you.
00:10:16Members of the General
00:10:16Assembly,
00:10:18members of my cabinet,
00:10:18the people of Medina,
00:10:22and, of course,
00:10:22my great wife Karen.
00:10:25And my daughters,
00:10:25Emma and Reese.
00:10:27Thanks for coming, girls.
00:10:29We love you. We love you.
00:10:35Well, you know that Medina
00:10:37is the home of our great House
00:10:37speaker, Bill Batchelder.
00:10:43This is his last year
00:10:43in the legislature.
00:10:47And, Keith, I know you and I
00:10:50are so grateful
00:10:50for his service.
00:10:52And by the way, I'm
00:10:52so grateful for your service
00:10:55and your
00:10:55leadership in the last year
00:10:58and all the things that you've
00:10:58done.
00:11:00You know, Bill,
00:11:01over the period
00:11:01of the next year, there
00:11:04going to be
00:11:04a lot of celebrations
00:11:05to try to point out that,
00:11:07you know, your greatness
00:11:08in serving the people
00:11:08of this state.
00:11:10There's no question
00:11:10this speaker, by the way,
00:11:14has been the most consistent
00:11:17and hard working supporter
00:11:17of the Highway Patrol.
00:11:22And I want to be the first one
00:11:22to kick off this next year
00:11:26of celebration
00:11:26of Bill Batchelder,
00:11:28because I get to announce
00:11:30a little present that we have
00:11:30for you tonight, Bill.
00:11:33And I want you to know that
00:11:33we are now going to rename
00:11:38the Medina Highway Patrol,
00:11:38post the William Batchelder.
00:11:43Post here in Medina.
00:11:50Come on.
00:12:08Oh, beautiful.
00:12:23You know, Medina is
00:12:23one of our great communities.
00:12:26And like all great places,
00:12:26the reason is it's people.
00:12:31One of Medina's
00:12:31most famous citizens.
00:12:35And somebody that Bill
00:12:35Batchelder has told me about
00:12:38for many years was h g. Blake.
00:12:41Mr. Blake was an orphan
00:12:44who was raised
00:12:44by his neighbors.
00:12:46He tried his hand at medicine
00:12:48and it shop,
00:12:48keeping in the law,
00:12:51and eventually,
00:12:51amazingly enough,
00:12:54he became
00:12:54the speaker of the Ohio House.
00:12:58Just like our great friend
00:12:58Bill Batchelder.
00:13:01He was also elected
00:13:01to Congress, and in Congress.
00:13:04He became a great friend
00:13:08to that great president,
00:13:08Abraham Lincoln.
00:13:11It was in 1860, as a freshman
00:13:11member of the U.S.
00:13:15House,
00:13:16at a time when debate over
00:13:16slavery was at as at its
00:13:19most heated, our country was
00:13:19about to tear itself in two
00:13:25that Congressman
00:13:26Blake introduced a resolution,
00:13:29what I would call
00:13:30a brave resolution
00:13:30that had never
00:13:32really been introduced before.
00:13:34It was a resolution
00:13:35to simply abolish
00:13:35the practice of slavery.
00:13:39It was one of his
00:13:39first official acts.
00:13:42There had been other similar
00:13:42efforts, but up to this point,
00:13:45abolitionists in Congress
00:13:45had been less direct,
00:13:48fearing the backlash
00:13:48of going too far, too fast.
00:13:52But Blake, he didn't really
00:13:52have that concern.
00:13:54He was impatient and probably
00:13:54a bit of a pot stirrer.
00:13:59I think he and I
00:13:59probably would have got along
00:14:01pretty well.
00:14:03Needless to say,
00:14:03Blake's resolution
00:14:06was soundly defeated.
00:14:08He didn't win on that day, but
00:14:10he set an example of courage
00:14:10for others to follow.
00:14:14Congressman
00:14:14Blake has an elementary school
00:14:17named for him
00:14:17right here in Medina,
00:14:19and we're remembering him here
00:14:19still tonight,
00:14:24138 years
00:14:24after his death. Why?
00:14:29Because he stood
00:14:29up and he made a difference.
00:14:34The question for all of us
00:14:36who have the privilege
00:14:37of serving
00:14:37the people of the state
00:14:39and for all of us
00:14:39that are here.
00:14:41The question is,
00:14:41what difference
00:14:43will you and I make?
00:14:46Folks, some of the best times
00:14:46I've had in
00:14:48my life have been hiking in
00:14:48the mountains with my family.
00:14:51When you start out on a hike,
00:14:51you're
00:14:53moving through the trees
00:14:53and the brush,
00:14:55and you help
00:14:55clear the way for each other.
00:14:58Then you scramble over
00:14:58the scree and the loose rocks,
00:15:01and you help each other
00:15:01to keep from falling.
00:15:05After you've struggled
00:15:05through the early obstacles,
00:15:07you get out
00:15:07on more solid ground.
00:15:09And when you get out on that
00:15:10more solid ground, you get the
00:15:10first glimpse of your goal,
00:15:14that summit,
00:15:14and you come together
00:15:17and it lifts your spirits
00:15:19and you get that extra boost
00:15:19to keep on going.
00:15:22Right, girls?
00:15:23We just keep on going.
00:15:26That's kind of where we are
00:15:26now in Ohio.
00:15:28Together we've come through
00:15:28a very difficult patch.
00:15:32We had an $8 billion budget
00:15:32deficit,
00:15:358 billion,
00:15:35the largest in Ohio's history.
00:15:39We had lost
00:15:39350,000 private sector jobs.
00:15:46That's filling
00:15:46the Ohio Stadium three times
00:15:49with some left over
00:15:49who no longer had any work.
00:15:53We had $0.89 in our rainy day
00:15:53fund.
00:15:57Most kids in Ohio have more
00:15:57than that in their piggy bank.
00:16:02We were on the verge
00:16:02of losing hope.
00:16:05And many of us feared that
00:16:05our best days were behind us.
00:16:09That is not the Ohio
00:16:09that we wanted.
00:16:12We knew that
00:16:12we had to change things.
00:16:15So we took up the hard work,
00:16:15and we moved ahead
00:16:18without fear of failing
00:16:18and with urgency and resolve.
00:16:24We set priorities.
00:16:26And I hope you realize
00:16:26nobody got special treatment.
00:16:30There were no favorites
00:16:30that we played.
00:16:33We made tough choices and we
00:16:33got our budget back in shape.
00:16:37We turned around that
00:16:37historic $8 billion shortfall,
00:16:41and now we have $1.5 billion
00:16:44in our surplus
00:16:44fund in the state of Ohio.
00:16:47And positive credit outlays.
00:16:59We didn't raise taxes,
00:16:59but instead we cut them.
00:17:02You know, as
00:17:02I like to say,
00:17:02if you have a restaurant
00:17:04and you don't have
00:17:04any customers,
00:17:06the answer is not to raise
00:17:06your prices.
00:17:09You have to reduce your prices
00:17:09and maybe change the menu.
00:17:13And we did cut taxes
00:17:13by $3 billion.
00:17:17We killed the death tax bill.
00:17:19Batchelder wanted that death
00:17:19tax killed for
00:17:22a couple reasons.
00:17:23One is no
00:17:24one should have to visit
00:17:24the undertaker
00:17:26and the tax
00:17:26man on the same day.
00:17:28But more important.
00:17:34More important than even
00:17:34that is the fact that now
00:17:37if you have a family farm
00:17:37or a family business,
00:17:42you can pass it on
00:17:42to your kids
00:17:44so they can build
00:17:44an even stronger business.
00:17:46Going
00:17:46forward in our communities.
00:17:54We cut
00:17:54small business taxes by 50%.
00:17:58I think we all know that
00:17:58half of the private sector
00:18:01workforce that we have in
00:18:01this state
00:18:04comes from small business.
00:18:05So that's why we constantly
00:18:05want to cut the taxes
00:18:08for small business
00:18:08so they can hire more
00:18:10and invest in their business
00:18:10and be more modern.
00:18:13And we cut income taxes
00:18:13by 10%.
00:18:16So every Ohioan can take home
00:18:16to their family
00:18:19more of what they earn.
00:18:21You know, Ohio's
00:18:21economy grows strongest
00:18:24when it grows
00:18:24from the bottom up.
00:18:26Frankly, Ohio or any state
00:18:26or any country works
00:18:30better when power goes
00:18:30from the bottom up,
00:18:33not from the top down.
00:18:35That is not the prescription.
00:18:42And God bless.
00:18:43God bless those Ukrainians
00:18:45who drove power
00:18:45from the bottom up
00:18:47to restore their
00:18:47freedom in that country.
00:19:00You know,
00:19:01sometimes
00:19:01we think we have tough votes.
00:19:05Think about them in the square
00:19:05in Kiev,
00:19:08facing people with guns.
00:19:11They were not deterred.
00:19:13We have to learn
00:19:13from their courage.
00:19:16But I also want to tell you,
00:19:16in growing Ohio,
00:19:19from the bottom up,
00:19:20it means that Ohioans
00:19:21have to have more money
00:19:21in their pockets.
00:19:24We're being true
00:19:24to the fundamental idea
00:19:26that made our nation great.
00:19:27Government
00:19:27works for the people.
00:19:29The people do not work
00:19:29for the government.
00:19:32Plain and simple.
00:19:54We have a great lieutenant
00:19:54governor, Mary Taylor.
00:19:56She's created
00:19:56a permanent system.
00:20:01She's created a permanent
00:20:03system
00:20:03to streamline regulations.
00:20:06She's just trying
00:20:06to put common sense in the way
00:20:08that we regulate to provide
00:20:08for health and safety.
00:20:11But not all this blizzard
00:20:11of regulations that choke
00:20:15our small businesses
00:20:15and drive people crazy
00:20:18because they don't represent
00:20:18common sense
00:20:21for those that are out here.
00:20:23And you still have problems.
00:20:24You need to let us know
00:20:26because
00:20:26we want you to be successful.
00:20:28And we don't want it to be
00:20:30more difficult than it needs
00:20:30to be
00:20:32as you run your businesses.
00:20:34All of this has been done
00:20:34to help unleash Ohioans
00:20:39natural energy, our
00:20:39creativity, and our hard work.
00:20:43And as a result,
00:20:43our folks have created
00:20:46more than 170,000 jobs
00:20:46over the period of.
00:20:50The last three years.
00:20:58That's 155 new
00:21:01jobs each day for the past
00:21:01three years, 155 families
00:21:06every day getting stronger,
00:21:06more hopeful and more secure.
00:21:12We've made long overdue
00:21:12investments in education,
00:21:14so students everywhere
00:21:14have the resources to achieve.
00:21:17And we did it by putting
00:21:17students first, not buildings
00:21:20or equipment or adults.
00:21:23Albert Ratner's here with us
00:21:23tonight from Cleveland.
00:21:27He, along with that great
00:21:27mayor of Cleveland,
00:21:29Frank Jackson,
00:21:30have gone to work
00:21:30to reform the schools
00:21:33in Cleveland,
00:21:33working with all of you.
00:21:35It's a new day
00:21:36and a new way in the city
00:21:36of Cleveland for our children.
00:21:40They're on a path
00:21:40to excellence.
00:21:42And it took courage,
00:21:42and it took the legislature
00:21:45on a bipartisan basis
00:21:45to do it.
00:21:48Cleveland, to me,
00:21:48is the greatest example
00:21:51of school reform
00:21:51in the North in America,
00:21:54and we hope
00:21:54it will become contagious.
00:21:58I love Mark Michael Coleman,
00:21:58the mayor of Columbus,
00:22:01and we're working with him
00:22:01to try to bring about reforms.
00:22:05But anybody in this state
00:22:05that supports a reform
00:22:09agenda to put our children
00:22:09first, please come and see us.
00:22:13We will help you.
00:22:14We will work with you
00:22:14to give our kids
00:22:16what they need
00:22:16to be successful,
00:22:18so they can realize
00:22:18their hopes and dreams.
00:22:20Bring us
00:22:20the plans that you want
00:22:22and we will get it done.
00:22:23Am I right, Mr.
00:22:24Speaker? And Mr.
00:22:25President?
00:22:33You know, our.
00:22:34Colleges and our universities
00:22:34are working together.
00:22:37They wrote a single unified
00:22:39plan for new buildings
00:22:39and construction.
00:22:41We asked them to sit down
00:22:41and figure out
00:22:43which of these institutions
00:22:43really needed the help
00:22:45to advance education
00:22:45and jobs in Ohio.
00:22:48They did it.
00:22:49And they've now
00:22:49created a new funding system.
00:22:52So they're focused on helping
00:22:52students graduate,
00:22:54not competing
00:22:54against each other
00:22:57just to sign up
00:22:57as many students as possible.
00:23:00And I will talk a little bit
00:23:00more about that.
00:23:02We're making breast
00:23:02and cervical cancer screenings
00:23:05available
00:23:05for more low income women
00:23:07so we can start saving lives.
00:23:09We're rebuilding our highways
00:23:09without a gas tax increase
00:23:12and helping our cities
00:23:12and towns
00:23:14rebuild their roads
00:23:14and their bridges,
00:23:16and we're using the untapped
00:23:16potential of our turnpike
00:23:19to make these efforts
00:23:19as strong as possible
00:23:22as we rebuild our economy.
00:23:24We are rebuilding the
00:23:25infrastructure of the state
00:23:25of Ohio in the process.
00:23:29We did
00:23:29not ignore those in need.
00:23:33We did not.
00:23:35We're doing a better job
00:23:35of making sure that people
00:23:37with disabilities
00:23:37have the opportunity to work
00:23:41and to live independent.
00:23:43We're doing a better job of
00:23:43helping those with addiction.
00:23:47We're doing a better job
00:23:47of caring for the mentally ill
00:23:51and their families.
00:23:53We're taking on Ohio's
00:23:54historically abysmal record
00:23:54on infant mortality.
00:23:58And I'm proud of my wife
00:23:58for her work on this effort
00:24:00in Columbus.
00:24:02Together with Cincinnati
00:24:02or with Columbus City Council
00:24:05member Andy Gunther.
00:24:06Karen, thank you for your hard
00:24:06work on this.
00:24:08We will make great progress.
00:24:16We're taking on the.
00:24:18Evil of human trafficking
00:24:18by going after traffickers
00:24:22and treating the victims
00:24:22and the young, young people
00:24:26who have been put into this
00:24:26incredible situation.
00:24:29And we're treating the victims
00:24:29not as criminals.
00:24:32That is children
00:24:32of God who need our help.
00:24:36Every Ohioan.
00:24:43Every Ohioan deserves a chance
00:24:43and an equal opportunity
00:24:46to achieve their God
00:24:46given potential.
00:24:49And that's the Ohio that we're
00:24:49rebuilding for everyone.
00:24:53Everyone.
00:24:55All of these things
00:24:55have helped Ohio move up to
00:24:57hire more solid ground.
00:24:59And if you look, if you look,
00:25:02the clouds
00:25:02are beginning to move apart.
00:25:05The sun is beginning
00:25:05to break through.
00:25:08And the shine, it's bright
00:25:08light on that summit.
00:25:12If you look, you can see it.
00:25:15We've got much further to go,
00:25:15but the success we have
00:25:19gives us the confidence
00:25:19to climb higher.
00:25:22We are not hopeless.
00:25:23We are hopeful.
00:25:23We are not wandering.
00:25:25We have direction
00:25:25and we need to keep going.
00:25:28To advance the state of Ohio.
00:25:37Folks,
00:25:38we have to keep Ohio's budget
00:25:38strong and balanced.
00:25:43We have to do it.
00:25:45We worked hard to restore
00:25:45our financial health,
00:25:49and we
00:25:49must zealously protect it.
00:25:53You know the reason
00:25:54jobs, when job creators
00:25:54see that Ohio's
00:25:58budget is in good shape.
00:25:59And I talked to him
00:25:59every week, almost every day.
00:26:03And I tell them about our
00:26:04surplus and our credit ratings
00:26:04and our balanced budget.
00:26:08They're frankly shocked.
00:26:10You know,
00:26:10they look at Washington,
00:26:13they look at Washington all
00:26:13and some of our states,
00:26:16and they see gridlock
00:26:16and debt and deficits.
00:26:20And I'm sure they think that's
00:26:21how government
00:26:21works everywhere.
00:26:24But we know
00:26:24Washington's broken.
00:26:26Sometimes I wonder if it's
00:26:26even on the same planet
00:26:30as the rest of us.
00:26:33You know, Ohio's different,
00:26:35in fact, of course,
00:26:35with that balanced budget
00:26:37and that surplus,
00:26:39we didn't let state government
00:26:39try to paper over problems
00:26:42with higher taxes,
00:26:43but instead we solve them
00:26:43so Ohioans can keep more
00:26:46of their own money.
00:26:47And businesses have certainty
00:26:47so they can create jobs
00:26:50without certainty.
00:26:50You have no job creation.
00:26:53We have it
00:26:53now in the state of Ohio,
00:26:55and if we keep our fiscal
00:26:55house in order,
00:26:58it will help us hold on
00:26:58to the jobs that we have
00:27:02and to grow new ones as well.
00:27:04It will also help us
00:27:04to attract jobs
00:27:06from around the country
00:27:06and around the world.
00:27:08But to do that,
00:27:08we also have to
00:27:10keep working with job creators
00:27:10the right way.
00:27:14And that's what Jobs Ohio
00:27:14is, this new organization
00:27:18that's beginning to hit
00:27:18its stride.
00:27:19The nation's business
00:27:19leaders are realizing
00:27:22that our new approach
00:27:22to economic
00:27:24development is something
00:27:24that it sets us apart.
00:27:28We treat job creators
00:27:28with respect by giving them
00:27:31peers, business
00:27:32experts and specialists
00:27:32in their fields to work with.
00:27:35And we work at their speed,
00:27:37which is the speed
00:27:37of business,
00:27:38not the speed of bureaucracy
00:27:38and government.
00:27:41It's working.
00:27:42We believe in an open economy
00:27:42and a free market,
00:27:45not a closed economy
00:27:45controlled by bureaucrats.
00:27:49And they understand that.
00:27:57We cannot overestimate
00:27:59just how important it is
00:28:00to connect with businesses
00:28:00on their level.
00:28:02You got to talk
00:28:02their language.
00:28:05This was made clear again in
00:28:05our recent work with messages.
00:28:09For those from Cleveland,
00:28:10you remember the day
00:28:10we celebrated?
00:28:12You know,
00:28:12I called their senior leaders
00:28:14several times up, many times
00:28:14to build a relationship
00:28:19and to encourage them
00:28:19to grow in our state.
00:28:22Our work paid off
00:28:23when the CEO of Nestle
00:28:23USA called
00:28:25and told me they were
00:28:26moving their pizza business
00:28:26from Chicago to Solon, Ohio,
00:28:31creating
00:28:31250 jobs in the process.
00:28:35But, you know, it's
00:28:35the kind of call
00:28:37that every governor,
00:28:37every leader,
00:28:39every legislator,
00:28:39every person wants to get.
00:28:42But then they said something
00:28:42especially gratifying,
00:28:44and I've heard it over
00:28:44and over again.
00:28:46He praised the Jobs Ohio team
00:28:48for helping Nestle
00:28:50collect the data it needed
00:28:50to make its decision.
00:28:53When a company of that Caliber
00:28:53International complements
00:28:57Jobs Ohio for its ability
00:28:57to add value in a core way,
00:29:02it is further proof
00:29:02the jobs Ohio is working.
00:29:05We saw that proof again
00:29:05last year when chief executive
00:29:08magazine said Ohio
00:29:09has the most improved business
00:29:09climate in the nation.
00:29:14And we have to keep it up.
00:29:25The reason the jobs Ohio
00:29:26exists is in its name,
00:29:26because it's all about jobs.
00:29:30We all want Ohioans
00:29:30to have good job opportunities
00:29:33because good jobs
00:29:35provide paychecks,
00:29:35and they strengthen
00:29:37our families
00:29:37and our communities.
00:29:39And those paychecks belong
00:29:39to the people who earn them,
00:29:42not to the government.
00:29:44There are two ways
00:29:44to try and grow an economy.
00:29:48The old way, where government
00:29:48takes your money
00:29:51and tries
00:29:52to pretend it's
00:29:52smarter than you,
00:29:54and it spends your money
00:29:54for you.
00:29:57Well, we've seen that way
00:29:57fail time and again.
00:30:01And then there's the natural
00:30:01way to grow an economy.
00:30:05When you get to keep more of
00:30:06your own money,
00:30:07and you can use it
00:30:07to control your own future
00:30:10and to help your family
00:30:10and your community.
00:30:13That is our basic philosophy.
00:30:15And out of respect.
00:30:23Out of respect for the Ohioans
00:30:23who get up every day,
00:30:26they go to the mill,
00:30:26the office, the factory,
00:30:30the farm, out of respect
00:30:30for the small businesses
00:30:33that are engine of job
00:30:33creation.
00:30:35We've
00:30:35got to keep cutting taxes.
00:30:38We have to keep doing it.
00:30:39That's why I'm proposing
00:30:39another round of tax cuts
00:30:41that will finally succeed
00:30:43in getting Ohio's
00:30:43tax rate below 5%.
00:30:57You know, sometimes
00:30:59I say to people,
00:30:59if you want to find
00:31:01an Ohioan,
00:31:01about half of the year,
00:31:04you go down
00:31:04to Naples, Florida.
00:31:08And it isn't
00:31:08because of the weather.
00:31:10It is not
00:31:10because of the weather
00:31:14since 1995.
00:31:17Listen to this.
00:31:18$12 billion in income
00:31:18has left Ohio
00:31:22for states
00:31:22with lower income taxes.
00:31:25$12 billion since 1995.
00:31:28Walked out the door.
00:31:31Fewer help for our
00:31:32restaurants, our communities,
00:31:32our charitable giving.
00:31:36And you know what?
00:31:37A lot of these people are
00:31:37our best and our brightest.
00:31:40And we don't want to
00:31:40lose them.
00:31:43They bring innovation.
00:31:44They bring good ideas.
00:31:46They help support
00:31:46our charities.
00:31:48$12 billion
00:31:48walking out of the state.
00:31:51It's not acceptable.
00:31:52That's why we need to cut
00:31:52these taxes, income taxes
00:31:56once again,
00:31:56which will also help
00:31:58our small businesses
00:31:58once again.
00:32:00We can get that tax rate
00:32:00under 5%.
00:32:03Balanced budget surplus,
00:32:05regulatory predictability,
00:32:05lower cost of doing business.
00:32:09That formula will work.
00:32:11And it is working
00:32:11for our state right now.
00:32:14And if the reason we're
00:32:15cutting taxes to make Ohioans
00:32:15more prosperous,
00:32:18let's do our part
00:32:18to make sure that no one
00:32:21and I mean no
00:32:22one is left behind, especially
00:32:22our minority communities.
00:32:26They have to be included
00:32:26in our growth and our success.
00:32:30And one way we can do this.
00:32:55I've got some script
00:32:56here, but let me just tell you
00:32:56this.
00:33:00I have told
00:33:03my cabinet
00:33:05we have laws on the books
00:33:08that says when Ohio
00:33:10is involved in the the process
00:33:10of goods and services,
00:33:15we have to help our minority
00:33:15partners in this state.
00:33:20We have been doing it
00:33:20in this state for
00:33:23I voted for it when I was
00:33:23a young state senator.
00:33:27Not only is it good enough
00:33:27to go and try to help on goods
00:33:30and services, but our highway
00:33:30construction dollars
00:33:34have to help our minorities
00:33:34to grow from minority
00:33:37businesses to majority
00:33:37contracting businesses.
00:33:40Now, let me say to you,
00:33:44we want more entrepreneurship
00:33:44across this state.
00:33:48Now, this isn't
00:33:48going to be done overnight,
00:33:51but I want to tell you,
00:33:51my cabinet knows it
00:33:54and we do it
00:33:54almost every cabinet meeting.
00:33:56We are going to help
00:33:56minority businesses to succeed
00:34:00and thrive
00:34:00in the state of Ohio.
00:34:02We are committed to it
00:34:02and we must get it done.
00:34:04I want
00:34:04you. To understand that.
00:34:27You know, we've made some
00:34:27great strides in education
00:34:30to address some of the most
00:34:30pressing needs.
00:34:32We had the largest increase
00:34:32in state aid in a decade,
00:34:35and now we can build
00:34:35on that foundation to start
00:34:39taking on other challenges,
00:34:39including one of Ohio's
00:34:43and the nation's
00:34:43toughest problems.
00:34:46And that is the issue
00:34:46of dropouts.
00:34:52There's a 17 year old girl
00:34:54somewhere in our state
00:34:54right now.
00:34:57She's thinking about not
00:34:57going back to school tomorrow,
00:35:01not just tomorrow,
00:35:03but maybe.
00:35:05Maybe never.
00:35:07She's sick of it.
00:35:09She could care
00:35:09less about algebra.
00:35:12Yeah, she's not very good
00:35:12at reading.
00:35:15She struggles with it.
00:35:18And you can't even talk to her
00:35:19about the need
00:35:19for her to learn Spanish.
00:35:23Not interested.
00:35:25Tell me, how do we get
00:35:25her excited about learning?
00:35:31I don't care what
00:35:31party you are a member of.
00:35:34We need an answer for her
00:35:34and the 24,000 other Ohio kids
00:35:39who face the same decision
00:35:39and drop out every year.
00:35:4224,000 kids in this state
00:35:46who drop out
00:35:46each and every year.
00:35:49And they join 1 million adults
00:35:49who live in Ohio,
00:35:53who don't have a high school
00:35:53diploma.
00:35:58Dropping out is a dead end.
00:36:01It can lead to a life of
00:36:04really unrealized dreams,
00:36:08or it can lead to poverty.
00:36:11We need to help
00:36:11get these kids back on track.
00:36:15Our administration
00:36:15will be sending ideas to you,
00:36:19members of the legislature,
00:36:19soon to help us
00:36:21do a better job of identifying
00:36:21and reaching out
00:36:25to the most at risk kids
00:36:25so we can keep them from
00:36:28dropping out. Okay.
00:36:30And then stay with me.
00:36:34Then we're going
00:36:35to ask our local school
00:36:35districts
00:36:37to craft unique plans
00:36:37for these students that chart
00:36:41a completely alternative path
00:36:41to their high school diploma.
00:36:45And if that path takes
00:36:45some of them out
00:36:47of the traditional classroom
00:36:49and into real life
00:36:49job training, so be it.
00:36:52We've got to have the courage
00:36:52to think outside of the box,
00:36:54because we have to
00:36:54reach every student.
00:36:56And let me put it
00:36:56in a simple way.
00:37:01If a young student doesn't
00:37:01want to learn the algebra,
00:37:04the math,
00:37:04or maybe even the English,
00:37:07let them go to a body shop,
00:37:10let them be supervised
00:37:10by somebody
00:37:12and have the person
00:37:12in that body shop say to them,
00:37:15now that you're
00:37:15working on this car,
00:37:17are you
00:37:17going to charge somebody?
00:37:20Well, then
00:37:20you better know your math.
00:37:22And are you going
00:37:22to advertise?
00:37:24So they come in
00:37:24and use our services?
00:37:26Well,
00:37:26then you better learn English.
00:37:29There are ways
00:37:29to get to these young people.
00:37:31We have to think
00:37:31out of the box
00:37:34and you're going to
00:37:34get the plan put in your laps.
00:37:36And I hope that we can do this
00:37:39for these young people.
00:37:42You know,
00:37:42we have these adults in Ohio
00:37:43without the diplomas,
00:37:43a million.
00:37:45Could you imagine
00:37:46trying to survive
00:37:46in this world
00:37:47without a high school diploma?
00:37:49Well, we're starting to build
00:37:49an innovative system
00:37:52to let them work
00:37:53with our two year colleges
00:37:53to get high school diplomas.
00:37:57They're not going to go back
00:37:57to high school.
00:37:58Let them go into our two year
00:37:58schools,
00:38:00and we're going to try this
00:38:00slowly to see if it will work.
00:38:03They can go to our two year
00:38:03schools.
00:38:04They can get their high school
00:38:04diploma.
00:38:06They can get credentials,
00:38:06they can get training
00:38:10and then they
00:38:10can stand up straight again.
00:38:13We need to do this.
00:38:15This will help us
00:38:15in our battles that we face
00:38:18on poverty.
00:38:19Never before has Ohio
00:38:19reached out
00:38:21in such a focused way
00:38:21to help dropouts.
00:38:23It's not going to be easy,
00:38:25and it's going to force us
00:38:25to think creatively.
00:38:27And I ask you,
00:38:28you come up with a program
00:38:28that's better than ours
00:38:31will sign it,
00:38:31plain and simple.
00:38:33But this is something
00:38:33we need to do.
00:38:36And if we know
00:38:36we're on the right path,
00:38:37we'll expand the program
00:38:37and make it work.
00:38:40You know something
00:38:40I hear a lot from teachers
00:38:44is that parents
00:38:44need to be more involved
00:38:45in their children's education,
00:38:45and the community
00:38:48should do more
00:38:48to support their schools.
00:38:49How long have we heard this?
00:38:51I agree,
00:38:51so why don't we just do it?
00:38:53Why don't we get
00:38:53our communities involved
00:38:55and we're going to launch
00:38:57a new initiative,
00:38:57Community Connectors.
00:39:00It's an initiative
00:39:00to support the best ideas
00:39:02in our state
00:39:02for bringing together schools,
00:39:08parents,
00:39:09communities, community
00:39:09organizations, faith based
00:39:12groups, business leaders,
00:39:12and of course, our students
00:39:16in mentoring efforts
00:39:16based on proven practices.
00:39:20We're going to ask you,
00:39:20the legislature,
00:39:23to take the $10 million
00:39:23from casino receipts,
00:39:27and we're going to ask you
00:39:27to create a program
00:39:29that will give
00:39:29these communities a $3 match
00:39:33for every dollar
00:39:33they put in to build
00:39:33these mentoring efforts.
00:39:37And all of us in Ohio,
00:39:37we're hungry to help.
00:39:40We know what's missing
00:39:40out there.
00:39:43We just don't always know
00:39:43how to do it.
00:39:45And Community Connectors
00:39:45is going to give us a chance
00:39:48to listen to the better angel
00:39:48inside of all of us,
00:39:52to figure out how to make a
00:39:52difference in somebody's life.
00:39:55If we do this right
00:39:55and do a better job
00:39:57of connecting our communities
00:39:58and think about this,
00:39:58our businesses, our schools,
00:40:02our parents, the
00:40:02the faith based institutions,
00:40:07everybody that surrounds our
00:40:07schoolhouses and our children,
00:40:11it's going to lift up
00:40:11our educators.
00:40:13It'll lift up our kids.
00:40:15We can show them
00:40:15why learning matters.
00:40:17We can teach them
00:40:17about workplace culture.
00:40:20It's important
00:40:21we can teach them
00:40:21about professional etiquette.
00:40:24We can help them appreciate
00:40:24how important values
00:40:27are to success and life values
00:40:27like hard work, discipline,
00:40:31and personal responsibility,
00:40:31all of which can help motivate
00:40:36and inspire our children
00:40:36to find their purpose
00:40:39and reach for the stars.
00:40:41This is working
00:40:41in many places around Ohio,
00:40:44but we don't see enough of it.
00:40:47If you think of Cincinnati
00:40:47Youth Collaborative,
00:40:5096% of those kids
00:40:50graduate go on
00:40:53to college, the military,
00:40:53or a job.
00:40:55Toledo schools as community
00:40:55hubs program and United Way's
00:40:59new efforts in 17 schools
00:40:59as part of the Cleveland Plan.
00:41:02I would ask you, as you
00:41:02made it through your life,
00:41:07might have been your mom.
00:41:09It might have been
00:41:09your father,
00:41:10it might have been
00:41:10your grandfather,
00:41:13it might have been your coach.
00:41:15But there was somebody
00:41:15that taught you
00:41:17how to be successful,
00:41:19somebody that taught you
00:41:19how to dream,
00:41:22someone to touch you,
00:41:22that nothing could stop you.
00:41:25We need to do that
00:41:25for our children.
00:41:27All across the state of Ohio,
00:41:27and I hope you will help me
00:41:30in creating a program
00:41:30that can stand out in America.
00:41:33Will you help?
00:41:34I sure hope so.
00:41:57You know, folks,
00:41:57as we move on this program
00:42:00with these fired up volunteers
00:42:00and people that care,
00:42:03we've got some other ideas
00:42:03as well.
00:42:06We're going to have
00:42:06a new kind of direction
00:42:10in terms of giving kids
00:42:10the information they need.
00:42:13That's what's behind
00:42:13our new online career roadmaps
00:42:16coming later this spring.
00:42:18Let me tell you about this.
00:42:20Young Ohioans are going
00:42:20to be able to understand
00:42:23the in-demand jobs
00:42:23that exist in this state.
00:42:26They're going to learn about
00:42:26what it takes to get one.
00:42:29They're going to learn
00:42:29about what they pay.
00:42:32They're going to learn about
00:42:32what those jobs are all about.
00:42:36They will be able to get
00:42:36this information
00:42:38on their phones,
00:42:38and the adults
00:42:39who love them
00:42:39and care about them
00:42:41will get that information
00:42:41as well.
00:42:43Our kids need direction.
00:42:45They need to understand
00:42:45where they are going.
00:42:49And with the in-demand
00:42:49information about jobs,
00:42:52how we can turn education
00:42:52and reform education
00:42:56in a real way
00:42:56that actually connects
00:42:58kids to jobs
00:42:58and their passions in life.
00:43:01And we can do it
00:43:01right on their phones.
00:43:05And that's what they love.
00:43:08You know,
00:43:10I've traveled the state
00:43:10and I've visited our schools
00:43:13and some of some of the most
00:43:13advanced training
00:43:16I've seen anywhere
00:43:16are in our career centers.
00:43:19Let me ask you a question.
00:43:21How did we ever lose our way
00:43:21on vocational education?
00:43:25Why did we put it down?
00:43:27Why did we not understand
00:43:27its value?
00:43:30I had a group of kids
00:43:30in vocational education
00:43:33come in to see me
00:43:33a couple of weeks ago.
00:43:36They were how they were
00:43:36dressed to the nines.
00:43:39They were motivated.
00:43:39They were smart.
00:43:41They were excited
00:43:41about what they were studying
00:43:45and a sense of direction.
00:43:47I mean, they knew exactly
00:43:47what they wanted to do.
00:43:50One wanted to be
00:43:50an accountant,
00:43:52was out in the field
00:43:52and getting their math
00:43:54and everything else
00:43:54in the traditional school
00:43:56want to be an accountant.
00:43:57That's where she wanted to go.
00:43:59Another one, a teacher
00:44:01wanted to be a teacher and was
00:44:01excited about the prospects.
00:44:05Another one
00:44:06wanted to be a veterinarian.
00:44:0912th grader
00:44:09I want to be a veterinarian.
00:44:11I'm going to go to school
00:44:11and do it.
00:44:13One of them wanted
00:44:16wants to own
00:44:16his own construction company.
00:44:19Okay.
00:44:21I asked him maybe someday
00:44:21if I could get a job.
00:44:26We would all have been proud
00:44:26to call them our own kids.
00:44:29And that's why I want to see
00:44:29this kind of high
00:44:31quality experience
00:44:31in both jobs and learning.
00:44:35We're going to bring it down
00:44:35to the seventh grade.
00:44:36We want kids
00:44:37to have a connection
00:44:37to this in the seventh grade.
00:44:40Now, Mom and Dad,
00:44:41I have to tell you,
00:44:41you can clap for that.
00:44:44We want to bring it down.
00:44:52Mom and dad.
00:44:54Your kids can get that kind
00:44:54of training
00:44:58for a skill and a purpose.
00:45:00And it does not keep them
00:45:00from going to the two year
00:45:03community college
00:45:03or the four year school.
00:45:05In fact,
00:45:06they're going to have
00:45:06a better sense
00:45:07of where they're going.
00:45:09If we allow our kids to enter
00:45:09those vocational schools
00:45:14and we're
00:45:14putting more money in it.
00:45:15But I think taking it down
00:45:15to the seventh grade
00:45:18and getting our school
00:45:18districts
00:45:19to work with us on
00:45:19this will be a big change.
00:45:23Now, vocational education
00:45:27prepares our kids for careers
00:45:27in college.
00:45:29Now, here's the thing
00:45:29I think is really good.
00:45:32I believe every Ohio students
00:45:32should have the chance
00:45:35to prepare
00:45:35for their college degree
00:45:35by earning credit
00:45:38while they are
00:45:38still in high school.
00:45:40You take those courses.
00:45:41You should get credit.
00:45:43Period.
00:46:00Now you can get at some places
00:46:03in Ohio, but you can't get it
00:46:03everywhere.
00:46:07We're
00:46:07going to get it everywhere
00:46:09because you think about
00:46:09getting that credit
00:46:11while you were in high school.
00:46:13Think about the things
00:46:13that it does for you,
00:46:15get you motivated to get you
00:46:15focused.
00:46:18You get good grades
00:46:18in high school.
00:46:19You get good grades in
00:46:19college. You get a good job.
00:46:23Good career.
00:46:23Right, Bill? Good career.
00:46:26This is something we've tried
00:46:26for a long time,
00:46:28have been very successful.
00:46:31Work with me on this.
00:46:32Would you work with me
00:46:32on this?
00:46:36All of these ideas
00:46:36are going to be coming soon.
00:46:38As a part of a package
00:46:38of proposals
00:46:40to better connect kids
00:46:40with career opportunities
00:46:43in a very meaningful way,
00:46:43even as we work to help
00:46:47better prepare students
00:46:47for college in their careers.
00:46:50We're not going to forget
00:46:50their early years
00:46:53to make sure
00:46:53Ohio is doing everything
00:46:55it can to help our youngest
00:46:55learners.
00:46:57We're raising the standards
00:46:58for publicly funded
00:46:58early childhood education
00:47:01so that more children
00:47:01in school ready to succeed.
00:47:04And at the same time,
00:47:04we're going to make sure
00:47:06we're spending
00:47:06those important dollars
00:47:08in ways
00:47:08that will make a difference.
00:47:09We believe in early childhood
00:47:09education.
00:47:12We're going to promote it.
00:47:13We're going to make it work
00:47:13in our state.
00:47:15In an effective way.
00:47:34Okay.
00:47:35You know what these community
00:47:35college
00:47:38and university presidents,
00:47:41they're
00:47:41absolutely unbelievable.
00:47:43Think about this.
00:47:45They came together to decide
00:47:48if there's a few slices
00:47:48of pizza in the box.
00:47:50I won't take one
00:47:50if you need it.
00:47:52I won't take money
00:47:52from my building
00:47:54if you actually need it
00:47:54for your building.
00:47:56And we've seen it
00:47:56happen across the state.
00:47:58Sharing resources,
00:47:58a common purpose,
00:48:02a university system,
00:48:02not a system of universities.
00:48:06Let me tell you
00:48:06what they've agreed to do now.
00:48:09We will lead the nation.
00:48:11And I'm going to announce
00:48:11tonight we lead the nation,
00:48:15colleges and universities.
00:48:17We'll not get
00:48:17any of these state dollars
00:48:20that has gone to them
00:48:20traditionally
00:48:22based on enrollment.
00:48:25You know what
00:48:25they've agreed to do.
00:48:26They will only get paid
00:48:26if students
00:48:29complete courses
00:48:29or students get degrees.
00:48:32No more. Wandering around.
00:48:34This is a big deal for our
00:48:34students and for our schools.
00:48:48We're going to be giving.
00:48:48You this legislation soon.
00:48:50But just think about this
00:48:50for a second.
00:48:53Student goes
00:48:53into the community college
00:48:55or in the four year schools,
00:48:57really doesn't know
00:48:57what they want to do.
00:49:00You know,
00:49:00they parked their car
00:49:02a mile from the
00:49:03academic building where
00:49:03they're going to go to class,
00:49:07and then they get frustrated
00:49:07and they quit
00:49:09with two years worth of debt.
00:49:12Our colleges are committed
00:49:12the same way.
00:49:14Our k-through-12 schools are
00:49:17in giving them a virtual menu
00:49:17so they can know
00:49:19what their pathway
00:49:19ought to be.
00:49:21The colleges
00:49:21and universities
00:49:21will be working to make sure
00:49:24that when you enter
00:49:24that building,
00:49:25when you enroll
00:49:25in that school,
00:49:28you will have somebody
00:49:29that will guide you
00:49:29through the process
00:49:31and guarantee
00:49:31you or do their best
00:49:34to guarantee you
00:49:34that they will get a degree.
00:49:39This is skin off their backs.
00:49:43They're fantastic.
00:49:44These university and college
00:49:44presidents and you.
00:49:47Please
00:49:47tell them when you see them.
00:49:49Thank you.
00:49:50And we'll get you
00:49:50the legislation to enact this.
00:49:53You know,
00:49:53we also think about education
00:49:55is like,
00:49:55you know, preschool and
00:49:57and then it's,
00:49:57you know, high school
00:49:59and then maybe
00:49:59the two year school
00:49:59or the four year school.
00:50:01We have a different
00:50:01philosophy in Ohio.
00:50:03You must have lifetime
00:50:03learning.
00:50:05We must have a system
00:50:05that allows you, in the 21st
00:50:09century,
00:50:09in the global marketplace,
00:50:10to consistently
00:50:10upgrade your skills
00:50:13so that you are control
00:50:13of your own destiny.
00:50:16And one day,
00:50:17you don't wake up
00:50:17and find that
00:50:18you don't have the skills
00:50:18to compete and win.
00:50:21And that is our philosophy.
00:50:23It's not just K through
00:50:23or pre-K through J job.
00:50:27It's going to be all the way
00:50:27through your lifetime.
00:50:30And this is the strategy
00:50:30that I believe we need to take
00:50:33now folks.
00:50:34One of the best kept secrets
00:50:34in our state, our veterans,
00:50:38not only to deserve our
00:50:38thanks for the sacrifices
00:50:40they've made for our freedom.
00:50:42They deserve our help
00:50:44to transition back
00:50:44into civilian life.
00:50:47We're starting a new effort
00:50:49to give them
00:50:49college and academic credit
00:50:52for the training
00:50:52and experience
00:50:54they've received
00:50:54in the armed forces,
00:50:55and we want to give them
00:50:55these credits for free.
00:51:16Think about this.
00:51:18Think about this.
00:51:20I'm with you.
00:51:21Yes. Yes.
00:51:29Think about this.
00:51:30This is.
00:51:30This is really unbelievable
00:51:30that we haven't done this.
00:51:33Whether it's it's engineering,
00:51:33heavy machinery,
00:51:37construction,
00:51:37auto and truck repair.
00:51:41Where's my wife? Said
00:51:41the other night.
00:51:43Advanced technology.
00:51:44So I put it in here.
00:51:48The US armed forces
00:51:48trains more.
00:51:50It was no question.
00:51:51We train more people
00:51:51and more sophisticated ways
00:51:54than any organization
00:51:54on the planet.
00:51:57The training has prepared
00:51:57veterans
00:51:59for many of Ohio's
00:51:59most in-demand jobs,
00:52:01and we know what they are.
00:52:03We know what
00:52:03those in-demand jobs are.
00:52:05If you ever
00:52:05want to know, go on to Ohio
00:52:05means jobs and you can see it.
00:52:08We know what these jobs are.
00:52:11The training
00:52:11that they've received
00:52:12has prepared them
00:52:12for these jobs,
00:52:15and letting them more easily
00:52:15put it into place
00:52:18in the workplace.
00:52:19Of course, it helps
00:52:19them when they come home.
00:52:23Let me ask you this.
00:52:26If you
00:52:26can drive a truck from Kabul
00:52:30to Kandahar, Afghanistan,
00:52:33don't
00:52:33you think you should be able
00:52:34to drive a truck
00:52:34from Columbus to Cleveland?
00:52:38Yeah.
00:52:48Hey, folks.
00:52:49Look,
00:52:49I think we're making gains.
00:52:52There's
00:52:52too many people in our state
00:52:54that don't have work.
00:52:58We're not forgetting you.
00:53:02I'm not forgetting you.
00:53:05We go to work every day
00:53:07focused on creating this jobs
00:53:07friendly climate
00:53:10that's essential to helping
00:53:10our people get back to work.
00:53:14It's why can't fritter away
00:53:14the surplus
00:53:18we got. There's.
00:53:19There's needs and demands,
00:53:19but we can't do that.
00:53:23We got to keep the job
00:53:23friendly.
00:53:24Climate in the state,
00:53:24you know?
00:53:28But we also can't forget
00:53:28Ohioans
00:53:31who can only dream
00:53:31of being able to hold a job.
00:53:34These are people who struggle
00:53:37with mental illness
00:53:37and addiction.
00:53:41They're part
00:53:41of our mission, too.
00:53:44We've taken a new approach
00:53:44to mental health
00:53:46so that families
00:53:46and communities
00:53:48have more resources.
00:53:51Doctors and clinics
00:53:51are available in more places.
00:53:54Communities can offer
00:53:54more care to those in need,
00:53:57including many
00:53:57who may not be poor.
00:54:02We should be proud that we're
00:54:02making a difference here,
00:54:06because it's so easy
00:54:06in politics to run over them,
00:54:10because they don't organize
00:54:10and many don't vote.
00:54:14Many do, but some can't.
00:54:18So we should be proud
00:54:18that we have been standing up
00:54:20for them.
00:54:21We are building on the work
00:54:21that we've done already
00:54:24by creating more safe places
00:54:26where people in crisis
00:54:26can get the care they need
00:54:30so they can stabilize,
00:54:30regain control
00:54:34and be
00:54:34at home with their families.
00:54:38I'm so struck
00:54:40by the former candidate
00:54:40for governor
00:54:43in Virginia, Creigh Deeds,
00:54:47took his son to a hospital
00:54:50in a crisis.
00:54:52No room.
00:54:54The day later,
00:54:56he attacked his father.
00:55:00It's terrible.
00:55:02We need these places.
00:55:04Tracy Pollack
00:55:04is creating these.
00:55:06There's some already.
00:55:07We're going to expand this.
00:55:10Because if you ignore people
00:55:10who have these severe
00:55:13problems,
00:55:13people can hurt themselves.
00:55:17Hurt someone else.
00:55:19We read about it.
00:55:20We shake our heads.
00:55:23Thank you, Mr.
00:55:23Speaker. And Mr.
00:55:25President, for your help on
00:55:25getting those resources here
00:55:29for the mentally ill.
00:55:30But, you know, another
00:55:30group of people who live in
00:55:34the shadows
00:55:34are those who are addicts.
00:55:38It's impossible to imagine.
00:55:43The devil
00:55:44never leaves their shoulder.
00:55:47They go through the valley.
00:55:54A man whose son
00:55:54went to my daughter's school.
00:55:59One night
00:56:01they knocked on his door.
00:56:05We found your son dead
00:56:07of a drug overdose in his car.
00:56:12A lady
00:56:12who took a prescription.
00:56:14Her son took one pill,
00:56:14took him to the emergency
00:56:18room, brought him home,
00:56:18put him to bed.
00:56:22He never woke up.
00:56:25Or our friend Sam,
00:56:28who took prescription drugs
00:56:29that led to heroin addiction.
00:56:34Fight it
00:56:34for the rest of his life.
00:56:38We have to take this issue on.
00:56:40It's intractable.
00:56:42You and I,
00:56:42the attorney general.
00:56:45We shut down pill mills.
00:56:47We got all the local
00:56:47law enforcement
00:56:49and the highway patrol
00:56:49and the sheriffs,
00:56:51and we're busting them
00:56:51driving there.
00:56:53This trade, this, this artery
00:56:53out of our state? Yes.
00:56:59But it's not enough.
00:57:02We have
00:57:02to deal with the demand.
00:57:05The demand is in every
00:57:07one of our neighborhoods.
00:57:11Our minority communities
00:57:13dealt with that alone
00:57:13for a long time
00:57:16alone.
00:57:18It wasn't right.
00:57:20Now we're all dealing with it.
00:57:22It knows no race.
00:57:24It knows no demographics.
00:57:26It knows no community.
00:57:29So we can bust them.
00:57:30But we've got to build
00:57:32the courage and the strength
00:57:32and people to say no.
00:57:35Now we have launched our Start
00:57:35Talking program.
00:57:39It's going into the schools.
00:57:41It's involving
00:57:42people who the their peers
00:57:42will listen to and respect.
00:57:46Our highway patrol's involved.
00:57:48Our local
00:57:48sheriffs are involved.
00:57:50Local law enforcement,
00:57:50athletes in the school
00:57:53who are the peers
00:57:53who become ambassadors.
00:57:55We know.
00:57:57We know that
00:57:57if you talk to your kids
00:58:00about not you or anybody
00:58:00about not using drugs,
00:58:03there is a 50%
00:58:03chance they won't use them.
00:58:08We don't want them to ever
00:58:10use them
00:58:10because rehab is so difficult.
00:58:14It's like having an alligator
00:58:14chase you around
00:58:16in your living room.
00:58:17You got to constantly
00:58:17feed them
00:58:20for each you
00:58:22or you can get off of it.
00:58:25But it's so difficult.
00:58:27The providers of prescription
00:58:27drugs in this state
00:58:30have come together.
00:58:32Ohio State
00:58:32Medical Association,
00:58:34the Daniels,
00:58:35the nurses and everybody
00:58:35to come up with a protocol
00:58:38so that when we treat people
00:58:38who have pain,
00:58:41we don't
00:58:41give them so much medication
00:58:41that it leads to addiction.
00:58:45Well, I've got to tell you
00:58:45that this start
00:58:47talking is working.
00:58:49We've now spoken
00:58:49to almost 9000 students.
00:58:52We now have 207 student
00:58:52ambassadors who will stand up.
00:58:56But we need you.
00:58:58We need you in every school.
00:58:59You need to talk
00:58:59to your principals, please.
00:59:01And your superintendents.
00:59:03Peggy.
00:59:03Peggy was there and saw it
00:59:03and heard it,
00:59:05and it inspires people
00:59:05to keep them from doing drugs.
00:59:09And we will work with you.
00:59:10We will dedicate
00:59:10a staff member to work
00:59:12with each and every one of you
00:59:12to make this easy.
00:59:15And then once we get through,
00:59:15start talking.
00:59:17We need to make it a part of
00:59:17our very fabric of our culture
00:59:23so that kids can have
00:59:23the strength to say no.
00:59:26We're making progress,
00:59:26but we have so far to go.
00:59:30You know,
00:59:30together we can warn our kids
00:59:33and fellow citizens
00:59:34about the dangers
00:59:34of addiction and abuse
00:59:36and give them
00:59:36the self-confidence to say no.
00:59:39Another addiction that hides
00:59:39in plain sight is tobacco.
00:59:43Tobacco.
00:59:44Ohio once
00:59:45was a national leader
00:59:46in smoking cessation efforts,
00:59:48and we need to take up
00:59:48that cause once again.
00:59:50That's
00:59:50why today I'm announcing
00:59:51that we're dedicating
00:59:51new tobacco settlement
00:59:53funds to the fight
00:59:53against this addiction,
00:59:56to fight that will drive down
00:59:57our medical costs and improve
00:59:57Ohioans health.
00:59:59I hope you will
00:59:59join me on this.
01:00:10I know this is a lot of work,
01:00:10and frankly,
01:00:13I've only talked about
01:00:14a portion of what we're going
01:00:14to be sending to you soon.
01:00:18Not all of
01:00:18this is going to get done
01:00:19this spring or this summer.
01:00:21Maybe some of
01:00:21it won't get done this year.
01:00:24But I want to say, and it's
01:00:25going to take time
01:00:25to get things right. But
01:00:29if we're not moving forward,
01:00:29we're moving backward.
01:00:33We've got to let Ohioans
01:00:33keep more of their hard
01:00:36earned money.
01:00:36We've got to keep more kids
01:00:36in school.
01:00:38Men are more kids.
01:00:39Keep improving our colleges,
01:00:39give our veterans a hand back
01:00:43into the civilian workforce
01:00:44and keep improving mental
01:00:44health and fighting addiction.
01:00:48As you know,
01:00:48we've been talking more
01:00:50and more about poverty,
01:00:52how to help people
01:00:52get out of it,
01:00:53and how to prevent people
01:00:54from slipping into it to begin
01:00:54with.
01:00:57We took some big steps
01:00:57last year,
01:00:59especially in health care.
01:01:00And the reason
01:01:01for much of what
01:01:02we're proposing this year
01:01:02is that
01:01:04we can continue to do more.
01:01:06But let's be clear
01:01:06it's going to take all of us,
01:01:08not just the government,
01:01:08to make progress.
01:01:11I will have much more to say
01:01:11about this issue
01:01:14over the next
01:01:14couple of months.
01:01:16But remember,
01:01:17our greatest purpose
01:01:17will continue to be helping
01:01:19every Ohioan
01:01:19to have a chance to find a job
01:01:22that lets them
01:01:22fulfill their purpose.
01:01:24Jobs.
01:01:25The more jobs, the less
01:01:25poverty you have a job.
01:01:29It's self-confidence.
01:01:31You have a job. You have hope.
01:01:33You have a job.
01:01:34You have
01:01:34control. You have a job.
01:01:39You can contribute
01:01:40not just to your family,
01:01:40but to those around you.
01:01:44Yes, we do have much more
01:01:44to do.
01:01:46But because of what we have
01:01:48already accomplished,
01:01:48I can say tonight
01:01:50the state of the state
01:01:50is stronger, more hopeful,
01:01:53more optimistic, more excited
01:01:53and more confident.
01:01:56Here in the state of Ohio.
01:02:22Look, none of us
01:02:22have a monopoly on good ideas.
01:02:25You can figure
01:02:25some of this out.
01:02:27I'm with you.
01:02:29But we know we can accomplish
01:02:30greater things
01:02:30when we pull together
01:02:32instead of pushing
01:02:32against one another.
01:02:35Because in our unity
01:02:35is our strength.
01:02:37Some people are going to want
01:02:37to divide us.
01:02:40It's unavoidable.
01:02:42Please don't let politics.
01:02:44H.G. Blake didn't.
01:02:47Please don't let the fact
01:02:47that we're in an election year
01:02:51make us weak to Partizan.
01:02:54Not willing
01:02:54to take on big issues.
01:02:58Here's how I see it.
01:03:00If you voted for me
01:03:02or if you didn't,
01:03:04I'm your governor.
01:03:06If you're a CEO
01:03:06or if you're unemployed,
01:03:10I'm your governor.
01:03:13If you're
01:03:13living in your own house
01:03:15or you're living
01:03:15under a bridge,
01:03:17or if you're an honor student,
01:03:19or if you're an inmate, I'm
01:03:19your governor.
01:03:22I'm the governor
01:03:22of all of Ohio,
01:03:24and it's my duty to serve
01:03:24everyone.
01:03:27This is my life,
01:03:27and this is my mission.
01:03:30None of us know how long
01:03:30we have on this earth.
01:03:32But for as long as I'm here,
01:03:34I'm going to do
01:03:34everything I can
01:03:35to bring people together
01:03:35and lift our state.
01:03:37Now, some people wonder
01:03:40when I talk about my faith.
01:03:47I think I kind of felt
01:03:48God when I was a little boy.
01:03:52But I don't know that
01:03:53I didn't meet God
01:03:56until 1987,
01:04:00when my mother and father
01:04:00were killed
01:04:02by a drunk driver.
01:04:08I didn't know if I
01:04:08even anymore believed in him.
01:04:12I didn't know
01:04:12if he was out there.
01:04:15I didn't know
01:04:15if he cared about me.
01:04:191987 was 27 years ago.
01:04:27Just about every day.
01:04:30I search for
01:04:32what the Lord wants me to do.
01:04:36Because I know life is short.
01:04:39And I know that my purpose
01:04:39on this earth,
01:04:43whether I'm the governor
01:04:43or whether I'm a has been,
01:04:46is to bring about a healing.
01:04:50It's not so much about
01:04:50judgment.
01:04:53It's about love your neighbor.
01:04:55It's about lifting somebody
01:04:55who people can run past at
01:04:5990 miles an hour.
01:05:03So every day I think
01:05:04about what I can do.
01:05:08To make him pleased
01:05:08with the fact
01:05:09that he ever created me.
01:05:13Some people don't share that.
01:05:14Some people think there are
01:05:16other ways to get there,
01:05:16and I believe them.
01:05:18But what I know
01:05:18is, in our lives,
01:05:21we must carve a road,
01:05:21carve a path
01:05:25so that those who are hurting
01:05:25and those who are in need,
01:05:28and those who are yet to come,
01:05:28have a clear path
01:05:33for success and opportunity
01:05:33and to feel fulfilled.
01:05:36Their their God given purpose.
01:05:39You know, many times I stand
01:05:42in awe of the human spirit.
01:05:46I mentioned the Ukrainians.
01:05:48How about a scientist toiling
01:05:48away for years in the lab
01:05:51to cure a terrible disease?
01:05:53Or a soldier?
01:05:56Charging into combat to fight.
01:06:01I have a friend whose brother
01:06:01flew a helicopter.
01:06:03We think we're not even quite
01:06:03sure.
01:06:04In the Tora Bora
01:06:07received the Distinguished
01:06:07Flying Cross.
01:06:09We won't even talk about it.
01:06:12Life on the line.
01:06:14Unbelievable.
01:06:17You know,
01:06:17I look to these things,
01:06:19and these people
01:06:19just so inspire me.
01:06:22And I wonder sometimes
01:06:22where they find the strength.
01:06:24I think we all do.
01:06:26I think it comes
01:06:26from a higher power.
01:06:28But regardless of
01:06:28where you think it comes from,
01:06:31we can all agree
01:06:31that these stories lift us,
01:06:35make us better.
01:06:37Last year,
01:06:37the world heard a story
01:06:41that words
01:06:41could barely describe.
01:06:45It is a story of hurt
01:06:48beyond anything
01:06:48we can imagine.
01:06:51But it fortunately doesn't
01:06:51end there.
01:06:55It is also a story
01:06:55of three women
01:06:58who found an inner strength
01:07:00and a courage
01:07:00that brought them through
01:07:02and sustained them.
01:07:03No one rescued them.
01:07:06They rescued themselves
01:07:08first by staying strong
01:07:11and by sticking together,
01:07:13and then by literally
01:07:13breaking out into freedom.
01:07:18It's because of that courage
01:07:20that I'm humbled
01:07:20to present the 2014
01:07:23Ohio Courage Medals to Amanda
01:07:23Berry,
01:07:27Gina DeJesus and Michelle
01:07:27Knight, three extraordinary.
01:07:31Women who, despite
01:07:32having the worst of the world
01:07:32from math and rose above it,
01:07:36emerged as victors,
01:07:36not as victims.
01:09:00Thank you guys.
01:09:02Thank you.
01:09:10Get away!
01:09:31This car is not just on the.
01:10:00Wow. You know, on
01:10:04Saturday,
01:10:04Ohio will be 211 years old.
01:10:09Our state has seen
01:10:09so much change in that time.
01:10:11And change is difficult.
01:10:15But, you know, once you have
01:10:15done it and you move forward,
01:10:20there's
01:10:20a newness, a freshness,
01:10:25a sort of youth to everything
01:10:27that you do
01:10:27and touch together.
01:10:31We've breathed new life
01:10:31into Ohio
01:10:33in just three short years,
01:10:37but we're not anywhere
01:10:37close to the summit yet.
01:10:41Think about what Ohio will be
01:10:41like when we get there.
01:10:46Well, look like
01:10:46on the top of that mountain,
01:10:50Ohio will be a place where
01:10:50people can attain their dreams
01:10:55because they're prepared
01:10:55for the jobs of the 21st
01:10:58century and rugged individuals
01:11:01can start and grow
01:11:01their own businesses,
01:11:04regardless of their background
01:11:04or their social status.
01:11:07And they will be
01:11:08they will succeed
01:11:09because we will not
01:11:09let government stomp them out
01:11:12with mindless rules
01:11:12and high taxes.
01:11:15Ohio will be a place
01:11:15where everyone
01:11:18takes
01:11:18responsibility for themselves,
01:11:22and where children have
01:11:22the encouragement and support
01:11:25they need to navigate
01:11:25the currents of life
01:11:29and enjoy the same success.
01:11:31Our parents help provide
01:11:31for us.
01:11:35Ohio's
01:11:35communities will be built
01:11:37on a foundation of the values
01:11:37that made America great.
01:11:43Values
01:11:43like personal responsibility.
01:11:47Self-Reliance, compassion.
01:11:51Teamwork,
01:11:51faith in our creator,
01:11:54in our communities
01:11:54will care for one another
01:11:57and come together
01:11:57to lift those up
01:12:00who are hurting.
01:12:03This is the Ohio
01:12:03we are becoming.
01:12:06And the more
01:12:06we make these goals a reality,
01:12:10the more that Ohio
01:12:10will be recognized
01:12:12as one of the best places
01:12:12in our world to live, work,
01:12:16and raise a family.
01:12:19We're making Ohio
01:12:20a place
01:12:20where anything is possible.
01:12:24Government
01:12:24has a role in all of this.
01:12:26It certainly does.
01:12:28I don't think we should.
01:12:29I'm a believer that
01:12:29it has a very important role.
01:12:33But we've all experienced
01:12:33the limits of what
01:12:36government can do
01:12:37when it comes to solving
01:12:37some of our toughest problems.
01:12:41It's going to take you and me
01:12:41and our neighbors
01:12:45and our neighbors neighbors
01:12:45all deciding to pitch in
01:12:49to carve that road
01:12:52if we're
01:12:52going to take our state
01:12:53further up the mountain,
01:12:53towards that summit.
01:12:57I get around the nation
01:12:57Folks, I can tell you,
01:13:01and the world,
01:13:01they have their eyes on Ohio.
01:13:05They know we're coming back
01:13:07and they want to know,
01:13:07frankly, how we're doing it.
01:13:11We're not done.
01:13:12We're not done by a mile.
01:13:14But we've made good progress.
01:13:16We're getting there.
01:13:18It's great to see it happen.
01:13:20Isn't it
01:13:20great to be part of it?
01:13:22To be part of this rebirth.
01:13:25I hope you'll stay with me
01:13:25on the path as we go.
01:13:27Higher.
01:13:28I hope you'll keep up the team
01:13:28work.
01:13:29Keep taking on the impossible
01:13:29tasks.
01:13:32Keep tossing
01:13:32aside the status quo.
01:13:35Keep shaking things up.
01:13:37It's like my mother said.
01:13:38Shake them up, Johnny.
01:13:41Things will
01:13:41get better when you do it.
01:13:44If we do,
01:13:44we'll create the stronger,
01:13:47better Ohio that we all want.
01:13:51God bless America.
01:13:52God bless Ohio and God
01:13:52bless our future together.
01:13:56Thank you.
01:14:09Thank you.
01:14:42Please remain in your seats
01:14:44for the retirement
01:14:44of the colors.
01:14:48Once again.
01:14:54The Medina
01:14:54County Sheriff's Office
01:14:56honor guard
01:14:56to retire the colors.
01:15:48I. The chair recognizes
01:15:48President
01:16:10Pro Tem Senator Weidner
01:16:10for a motion. Mr.
01:16:12president,
01:16:12I move the Joint Assembly.
01:16:14Adjourn without objection.
01:16:17The joint
01:16:17session is adjourned.
Note : Transcripts are compiled from uncorrected captions