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State of the State Address - 1997
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January 14, 1997
01-14-1997
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State of the State Address
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The annual address presented by the Governor of Ohio, highlighting the goals and accomplishments of the state. Held as a joint session of the Ohio General Assembly in the House Chambers of the Ohio Statehouse.
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00:00:00
Speaker Davidson, president.
00:00:03
Finding
00:00:04
minority leaders Boggs and SB.
00:00:09
Distinguished members
00:00:09
of the 122nd General Assembly.
00:00:14
Senator DeWine.
00:00:16
Lieutenant Governor Hollister.
00:00:20
Justices of the Supreme Court.
00:00:23
Elected state office holders.
00:00:26
Members of the cabinet.
00:00:28
My wife, Janet and son Peter.
00:00:31
Friends
00:00:33
and fellow Ohioans.
00:00:36
It's hard to believe
00:00:37
that it's been exactly
00:00:37
six years to the day
00:00:41
I was sworn in as governor
00:00:41
of the state of Ohio.
00:00:45
It's a pleasure to be back
00:00:45
in the House chamber
00:00:48
for the state of the state
00:00:48
address, the first time
00:00:52
since 1993,
00:00:54
and it's
00:00:54
especially comforting to me
00:00:57
since my career in public
00:00:57
service began right here in
00:01:01
1967.
00:01:04
Some are still serving
00:01:04
from the class of 67
00:01:08
Troy Lee, James,
00:01:11
Bob, Natalie
00:01:13
and I understand
00:01:13
that we have a new senator
00:01:16
who was also a member
00:01:16
of that class.
00:01:19
Former House Minority Leader
00:01:19
Pat Sweeney,
00:01:21
now of the 23rd
00:01:21
Senate District.
00:01:25
Welcome, Pat.
00:01:27
It's also a
00:01:27
pleasure to welcome Dick fine
00:01:30
and an old friend
00:01:30
and a veteran of this chamber.
00:01:36
Dick, I know that,
00:01:38
you will be a great president
00:01:38
of the Senate.
00:01:41
And I think everyone knows
00:01:41
that without your leadership
00:01:44
and commitment,
00:01:45
we would not have
00:01:46
had the statehouse renovation
00:01:46
that we have.
00:01:49
And this beautifully restored
00:01:49
chamber.
00:01:54
Let's give them a hand.
00:02:10
I appreciate the cooperation
00:02:10
that Speaker Davidson and,
00:02:15
president have already
00:02:15
given me as we tackle
00:02:18
the budget and set the agenda
00:02:18
for the next two years
00:02:23
and all the members
00:02:23
of the General Assembly,
00:02:26
I do not take for granted
00:02:26
the respectful,
00:02:29
cooperative relationship
00:02:29
that I have with you.
00:02:33
I'm confident
00:02:33
that by working together
00:02:36
in a bipartisan fashion
00:02:36
and putting Ohio first,
00:02:40
our fellow citizens
00:02:40
will continue to benefit from
00:02:43
the fruits of our labor.
00:02:46
I have told my Cam that,
00:02:48
most of whom
00:02:49
will serve longer than any of
00:02:49
their predecessors.
00:02:53
That our final two years
00:02:53
will not be a period
00:02:56
of winding down,
00:02:56
but of winding up
00:02:59
and finishing our agenda
00:02:59
to secure Ohio's future,
00:03:04
a future that takes on added
00:03:04
significance to me
00:03:08
personally with the birth
00:03:08
of our first grandchild,
00:03:11
Mary Faith.
00:03:22
Like a champion
00:03:22
marathon runner.
00:03:24
We must summon that extra kick
00:03:27
to finish and win the race.
00:03:30
This is my seven state
00:03:30
of the state speech.
00:03:34
More than ever before.
00:03:35
I'm a firm believer
00:03:37
in the saying that nothing
00:03:37
is certain in life but change.
00:03:42
Since I took office in 1991.
00:03:45
The leadership of both
00:03:45
the House
00:03:47
and the Senate has changed,
00:03:49
and fully half
00:03:49
of the membership
00:03:51
of the General
00:03:51
Assembly has changed.
00:03:53
Only 66 of
00:03:53
you were here six years ago,
00:03:58
and we've seen nothing short
00:03:59
of dramatic change
00:03:59
in the state.
00:04:03
In March of 91,
00:04:03
when I first stood here
00:04:05
on this occasion, Ohio
00:04:05
was facing a potential revenue
00:04:09
shortfall of a billion
00:04:09
and a half dollars.
00:04:12
The rainy day fund
00:04:12
was being reduced
00:04:14
ultimately to fall to $0.14.
00:04:18
Our welfare rolls
00:04:18
ballooned throughout the 80s.
00:04:21
Our unemployment
00:04:22
rate was second worst
00:04:22
among the ten largest states,
00:04:26
and Ohio's economic future
00:04:26
was uncertain at best.
00:04:30
In many quarters,
00:04:32
Ohio was viewed as part of
00:04:32
America's Rust Belt.
00:04:35
And perhaps we were.
00:04:38
Since then,
00:04:38
with the cooperation
00:04:40
of the legislature and Ohio's
00:04:40
public private partnership,
00:04:45
we've gotten
00:04:45
Ohio back on the right track.
00:04:49
I've always believed
00:04:49
that government is just one
00:04:51
thread
00:04:51
in the fabric of a community,
00:04:55
and that government's highest
00:04:55
calling is to empower people
00:04:59
and galvanize their energy
00:05:00
and resources
00:05:00
to help solve our problems,
00:05:03
meet our challenges,
00:05:03
and seize our opportunities.
00:05:09
More than any other state,
00:05:10
we have put that philosophy
00:05:10
into practice by empowering
00:05:14
Ohio's private sector to get
00:05:14
involved in education reform
00:05:19
and many other operations
00:05:19
of state government
00:05:23
and through.
00:05:23
My number one management
00:05:23
priority, our quality services
00:05:27
through partnership program
00:05:27
with our employee unions.
00:05:30
We have empowered our state
00:05:30
workforce
00:05:32
to help us reinvent
00:05:32
state government
00:05:36
because of our cooperative
00:05:36
relationship
00:05:39
with our enlightened
00:05:39
union leaders.
00:05:41
Ohio leads
00:05:42
the nation
00:05:42
in quality management,
00:05:44
and we are going to be
00:05:44
the first state to have a high
00:05:48
performance workforce.
00:06:00
I came into office
00:06:00
dedicated to the principle
00:06:03
of working harder and smarter
00:06:03
and doing more with less.
00:06:07
We identified a vision
00:06:07
for the future called Ohio
00:06:11
First, our strategic plan
00:06:11
for maintaining
00:06:15
and strengthening Ohio's place
00:06:15
as a national leader
00:06:18
and world class competitor.
00:06:20
Now and into the 21st century.
00:06:23
And we've stayed focused
00:06:23
on four primary components
00:06:26
of that vision.
00:06:27
Management, education, jobs
00:06:27
and quality of life.
00:06:32
And today
00:06:32
we are getting results.
00:06:36
First and foremost, we have
00:06:36
been fiscally conservative,
00:06:39
fiscally conservative
00:06:39
since 1991.
00:06:43
We have held state
00:06:44
spending to its lowest
00:06:44
growth in 40 years.
00:06:48
We've eliminated two state
00:06:48
departments, cut the state
00:06:52
workforce by over
00:06:52
5000, excluding corrections
00:06:56
and with your help, abolished
00:06:56
121 boards and commissions.
00:07:10
We have
00:07:11
rebuilt the state's rainy day
00:07:11
fund to $828 million,
00:07:17
which represents a sensible
00:07:17
5% reserve.
00:07:22
Now, there are some who think
00:07:22
that amount is too high
00:07:27
and that we should spend it
00:07:27
down.
00:07:29
I would remind you
00:07:29
that there are only 20,
00:07:32
that our rainy day fund
00:07:32
is 23rd out of the 50 states.
00:07:37
In terms of a rainy day fund.
00:07:40
Ours is at a response
00:07:40
over the level
00:07:42
and we should keep it
00:07:42
that way.
00:07:54
And most of us
00:07:54
who were around in 91 and 92
00:07:57
remember that
00:07:57
we had to go through $1.2
00:08:01
billion
00:08:01
in order to balance the budget
00:08:04
back in that biennium budget.
00:08:09
Last year,
00:08:09
our fiscal conservatism,
00:08:11
our rainy day fund,
00:08:13
and Ohio's diverse
00:08:13
economy combined
00:08:15
to secure the first increase
00:08:15
in the state's
00:08:18
general obligation
00:08:18
bond rating in 17 years.
00:08:22
Our rating is tied
00:08:22
with New Jersey's
00:08:24
as the highest
00:08:24
among the ten largest states.
00:08:27
And it's better than all our
00:08:27
competitors on Ohio's borders.
00:08:31
We were also
00:08:32
able to deliver
00:08:32
a good management bonus
00:08:36
in the form of the nation's
00:08:36
second largest personal income
00:08:41
tax cut $400 million, which
00:08:41
Ohioans will see this year
00:08:47
when they complete their 1996
00:08:47
return.
00:08:52
To get it the second highest
00:08:53
in the country.
00:09:00
And through the same
00:09:01
mechanism,
00:09:01
another good management bonus
00:09:04
will be returned
00:09:04
to the taxpayers in 98.
00:09:08
Today I am recommending
00:09:11
that you make the income
00:09:11
tax Reduction fund permanent
00:09:17
here. That
00:09:19
there's Batchelder back there
00:09:20
as a permanent.
00:09:24
Working
00:09:24
and bipartisan agreement
00:09:26
with the General Assembly.
00:09:28
We transformed welfare from a
00:09:28
way of life to a way to work.
00:09:33
And today,
00:09:33
there are a quarter million,
00:09:36
a quarter million fewer
00:09:36
people on welfare
00:09:39
than at the peak in 1992,
00:09:39
a 32% reduction.
00:09:44
And we have reinvested
00:09:46
part of the savings
00:09:46
on children and families.
00:09:57
In fact, one of our proudest
00:09:57
achievements over the past
00:10:00
six years
00:10:02
is the fact that we have
00:10:02
increased state support
00:10:05
for programs that serve our
00:10:05
children and families by 34%.
00:10:11
We have held our schools
00:10:11
accountable
00:10:13
for improved performance,
00:10:13
and we're getting results.
00:10:17
Our S.A.T.
00:10:18
and Act scores are above
00:10:18
the national average.
00:10:21
Our October proficiency
00:10:21
test results
00:10:24
just released
00:10:24
were the best ever.
00:10:28
And I call on the state board
00:10:28
to raise the bar
00:10:31
and make those standards
00:10:31
more rigorous.
00:10:42
Our two year
00:10:43
colleges are doing
00:10:43
better than ever.
00:10:47
They're meeting the education
00:10:47
and training needs
00:10:50
of their local communities,
00:10:51
and represent
00:10:51
the most unsung economic
00:10:55
development tool that we have
00:10:55
in the state of Ohio.
00:10:59
And I want you to know that
00:10:59
I meet more and more Ohioans
00:11:01
to tell me that quality,
00:11:03
that the quality education
00:11:03
offered by our state colleges
00:11:06
and universities is the best
00:11:06
education value in America.
00:11:11
And in a recent
00:11:11
national survey,
00:11:14
ten of our 13 public
00:11:14
universities were ranked
00:11:17
among the best in the nation.
00:11:19
That's something that
00:11:19
we should all be very proud.
00:11:29
While paying particular
00:11:30
attention to the needs
00:11:30
of our youngest citizens.
00:11:34
We have not forgotten
00:11:34
our seniors.
00:11:37
For example, we expanded
00:11:37
the homestead exemption
00:11:40
to bring property tax relief
00:11:40
to 76,000 more older Ohioans,
00:11:45
bringing the total to 350,000.
00:11:49
And we've expanded by 500%.
00:11:53
The passport program,
00:11:53
which helps older Ohioans
00:11:56
remain at home
00:11:56
close to their loved ones
00:11:59
at 40% of the cost
00:11:59
of a skilled
00:12:03
nursing home.
00:12:12
We've also worked hard
00:12:12
to strengthen Ohio's business
00:12:15
environment
00:12:16
and improve our
00:12:16
competitive position
00:12:16
in the global marketplace.
00:12:20
Through workers
00:12:20
compensation reform
00:12:23
and last year's unemployment
00:12:23
compensation tax cut,
00:12:27
we saved Ohio businesses
00:12:27
almost $1 billion and costs
00:12:33
and have transformed
00:12:33
each system
00:12:35
to take better care
00:12:35
of our customers.
00:12:38
Ohio's injured
00:12:38
and unemployed workers.
00:12:49
By also paying attention
00:12:49
to energy and health care
00:12:52
costs, transportation needs,
00:12:52
and Ohio's incentive package.
00:12:56
And by focusing on Ohio's
00:12:56
strength and agriculture,
00:13:00
travel and tourism, science
00:13:00
and technology
00:13:03
and international trade,
00:13:05
we have rejuvenated
00:13:06
Ohio's business environment
00:13:06
into one of the best
00:13:09
in the nation.
00:13:11
Just ask our customers.
00:13:13
Our unemployment rate has gone
00:13:13
from the second highest
00:13:17
to the second lowest
00:13:17
among the ten largest states.
00:13:21
Ohio has led the nation
00:13:21
for the last three years
00:13:23
and new business
00:13:23
facilities and expansions.
00:13:26
And we're
00:13:26
in the hunt again for 1996.
00:13:37
Let there be no doubt.
00:13:40
Ohio is the jobs belt
00:13:40
and the productivity
00:13:44
belt today.
00:13:52
But we must also be aware
00:13:55
of what the competition
00:13:55
is doing.
00:13:58
For example,
00:13:58
surrounding states
00:14:00
have taken steps toward
00:14:00
retail wheeling of electricity
00:14:04
to lower energy costs
00:14:04
for consumers.
00:14:07
An action that could threaten
00:14:07
Ohio's competitive position.
00:14:12
I'm pleased that Speaker
00:14:12
Davidson
00:14:14
and President
00:14:14
Finan are convening
00:14:16
a joint select committee
00:14:16
to review this issue.
00:14:20
And as we move forward
00:14:20
with competition,
00:14:23
we must ensure that
00:14:23
our schools are made whole
00:14:26
from any changes in property
00:14:26
tax rates for utilities.
00:14:30
Very important.
00:14:39
The bottom line
00:14:39
is that we must maintain
00:14:41
Ohio's competitive
00:14:41
edge and protect Ohio jobs.
00:14:46
As pleased as we should
00:14:46
rightfully be
00:14:49
with the progress
00:14:49
we've made over the last six
00:14:52
years,
00:14:52
this is no time to slow down.
00:14:56
We need to keep the momentum
00:14:56
going.
00:14:59
Recognizing that we must act
00:14:59
within the
00:15:01
context of fiscal reality,
00:15:06
for example,
00:15:07
the budget will reflect
00:15:07
the full impact of corporate
00:15:11
franchise tax credits
00:15:11
from earlier jobs bills
00:15:14
and last session's
00:15:16
permanent increase
00:15:16
in personal exemptions.
00:15:20
I want everyone to understand
00:15:20
that our next budget
00:15:24
already contains
00:15:24
a $203 million reduction
00:15:29
in personal income tax funds
00:15:29
for the state of Ohio.
00:15:33
It's right there
00:15:33
for the citizens.
00:15:34
It's in the budget already,
00:15:34
from what you've done, $203
00:15:37
million.
00:15:48
Revenue growth
00:15:50
will not meet earlier
00:15:50
expectations.
00:15:53
And the amount of new
00:15:53
discretionary money available
00:15:56
is going to be extremely
00:15:56
limited.
00:15:59
Clearly, we have some very
00:15:59
difficult choices to make,
00:16:03
and I wish I had time
00:16:03
to talk about all of them.
00:16:06
Instead.
00:16:09
I want to focus on
00:16:09
the one choice on which I know
00:16:12
we can all agree
00:16:14
the need to build
00:16:14
on the foundation we have laid
00:16:17
to make Ohio schools
00:16:17
second to none now
00:16:21
and in the 21st century.
00:16:24
Perhaps the
00:16:24
most significant
00:16:24
thing we've done since 1991
00:16:28
is to reinforce the idea
00:16:31
that education
00:16:31
is everyone's business,
00:16:34
and that education improvement
00:16:34
is our state's
00:16:38
number one priority.
00:16:41
No state,
00:16:43
no state in
00:16:44
America has seen the level
00:16:44
of involvement and commitment
00:16:47
by the business community
00:16:47
that we have
00:16:50
from the statewide
00:16:50
best initiative
00:16:53
to the local business advisory
00:16:53
councils, to the adopt
00:16:57
a school program that my wife
00:16:57
Janet has championed.
00:17:00
Ohio's private sector
00:17:00
is making a positive
00:17:04
difference
00:17:04
in education in Ohio,
00:17:07
and I know that without
00:17:07
the support of the mayors,
00:17:10
I think of this
00:17:10
and the business community
00:17:12
in Cincinnati,
00:17:13
Cleveland and Columbus,
00:17:13
we never would have seen
00:17:17
major levies passed
00:17:17
in those cities last year.
00:17:22
And building
00:17:22
on the adaptive school program
00:17:24
and her effort
00:17:26
to help Cleveland fulfill
00:17:26
its bicentennial promise
00:17:29
that every school will be
00:17:29
adopted.
00:17:32
Janet has agreed to take
00:17:32
on a special challenge
00:17:35
in attempting
00:17:35
to get every school
00:17:38
in our urban
00:17:38
districts adopted.
00:17:41
Thanks be.
00:17:56
I'm also pleased
00:17:56
that our new budget provides
00:17:58
funding for the Seniors
00:17:58
in Schools program,
00:18:01
which will enable more older
00:18:01
Ohioans to volunteer
00:18:05
their time in our schools.
00:18:07
We cannot forget
00:18:07
the love factor.
00:18:17
I want to spend my remaining
00:18:18
time outlining what state
00:18:18
government can do to help
00:18:21
bring about further education
00:18:21
improvement in Ohio.
00:18:26
My recommendations are grouped
00:18:26
into four areas
00:18:29
families, finance,
00:18:31
finance, reform, teacher
00:18:31
support, and urban schools.
00:18:34
First, with respect of helping
00:18:34
Ohio's families.
00:18:38
I could not be more grateful
00:18:38
for the support
00:18:41
I have received
00:18:41
from the General Assembly
00:18:43
since 1991 and maintaining
00:18:43
the line in the sand
00:18:47
that I drew in my first state
00:18:47
of the state address
00:18:50
on behalf of Ohio's
00:18:50
children and families.
00:18:54
Your support was never more
00:18:54
evident than in 1996,
00:18:59
when so many of you stepped
00:19:01
up to the line
00:19:01
on behalf of Ohio families
00:19:03
and help beat back the serious
00:19:03
threat of casino gambling.
00:19:19
The line
00:19:19
in the sand we drew in 91
00:19:22
helped create our Family
00:19:22
and Children First initiative,
00:19:26
which is looked upon
00:19:26
as the model program
00:19:29
nationwide guide
00:19:29
for helping children get off
00:19:29
to a healthy start in life
00:19:33
so they can begin school
00:19:33
ready to learn.
00:19:37
Perhaps the most crucial need
00:19:37
for families
00:19:40
with small children
00:19:40
is health care,
00:19:43
according to the National
00:19:43
Governors Association.
00:19:46
Ohio has the fewest children
00:19:46
under
00:19:49
two not covered
00:19:49
by health insurance.
00:19:52
And to further help
00:19:52
struggling Ohio families,
00:19:55
we are proposing to expand
00:19:55
Medicaid eligibility
00:19:58
to 96,000 additional Ohio
00:19:58
children,
00:20:03
which should make Ohio
00:20:03
one of the nation's leaders
00:20:06
in providing health care for
00:20:06
children of the working poor.
00:20:20
And we also propose
00:20:22
financing 2000 new waiver
00:20:22
slots
00:20:26
to enable families
00:20:26
to keep their children
00:20:28
with disabilities
00:20:28
at home, where they belong.
00:20:32
Perhaps no other
00:20:32
initiative better underscores
00:20:35
our commitment to children
00:20:35
and families than Head Start.
00:20:39
Since I took office,
00:20:39
we have increased state
00:20:42
support for Head
00:20:42
Start by nearly 500%,
00:20:46
and we remain the nation's
00:20:46
leader in this area.
00:20:50
The number of children served
00:20:50
has nearly doubled.
00:20:53
And with the additional dollars we
00:20:53
will propose in the new budget,
00:20:57
Ohio will be the first state
00:20:57
to provide a place
00:21:01
in preschool
00:21:01
for every eligible child
00:21:04
whose family so desires.
00:21:16
You know, too often.
00:21:19
When we talk about programs
00:21:22
or we do talk about programs
00:21:22
and not about God's children.
00:21:26
And now it's my privilege
00:21:26
to introduce to Juan Burkhart,
00:21:31
a ninth grader at East
00:21:31
High School in Columbus.
00:21:33
I was going to talk about
00:21:33
his family's experience
00:21:38
with Head Start to one.
00:21:43
Governor and members
00:21:43
of the General Assembly.
00:21:47
I would like to thank you
00:21:47
for this opportunity
00:21:49
to speak on behalf
00:21:49
of all the past,
00:21:51
present and future Head
00:21:51
Start students and families.
00:21:54
Hester has been a great
00:21:54
and strong
00:21:57
educational experience
00:21:57
for many of us.
00:21:59
For sure,
00:22:00
I would not be doing
00:22:00
well in school
00:22:02
without the introduction to
00:22:02
learning that I got from here.
00:22:05
Start
00:22:06
head start
00:22:06
is not only for the child.
00:22:08
It has been a part
00:22:08
of my family
00:22:10
life on the last 11 years.
00:22:12
My mother started out
00:22:12
volunteering in the classroom
00:22:15
and serving on the Policy
00:22:15
Council.
00:22:17
Later, she became a Head
00:22:17
Start employee.
00:22:20
My mother and I truly believe
00:22:20
in the quality
00:22:22
of such a great program.
00:22:24
Some of my friends I made Head
00:22:24
Start are still my
00:22:27
friends today
00:22:29
and we are all doing well.
00:22:31
Education still remains
00:22:31
the number one priority to me
00:22:34
and my family.
00:22:36
So I would like to thank the
00:22:36
people of Ohio for supporting
00:22:39
Head Start.
00:22:40
Thank you.
00:23:02
You never know to one
00:23:03
make one of these days be
00:23:03
sitting in one of those seats
00:23:07
to one.
00:23:09
Thank you very much
00:23:11
for putting a face on Head
00:23:11
Start.
00:23:14
Perhaps in the future, when
00:23:14
we think about head Start.
00:23:18
We'll think about you.
00:23:21
I now want to offer
00:23:21
a brief progress report
00:23:24
on school funding reforms
00:23:24
we have undertaken,
00:23:28
along with our proposals
00:23:28
for further action.
00:23:32
Since 1991.
00:23:34
Total state spending on
00:23:34
schools has increased 36%.
00:23:41
A essentially double
00:23:41
the inflation rate over
00:23:44
that period
00:23:44
under our proposed budget.
00:23:48
Basic funding
00:23:50
will have increased
00:23:50
almost 50% over eight years,
00:23:55
and with years apart,
00:23:55
the actual formula
00:23:58
for distributing those dollars
00:23:58
has become more equitable.
00:24:03
With the support
00:24:03
of the General Assembly.
00:24:05
Our administration
00:24:05
was the first in Ohio
00:24:08
to take decisive action
00:24:08
to close the equity gap
00:24:11
between our low and high
00:24:11
wealth school districts.
00:24:15
You bet.
00:24:21
In fact,
00:24:21
between fiscal year 91
00:24:24
and the current fiscal
00:24:24
year, state per pupil
00:24:28
appropriations to these school
00:24:28
districts grew about 31%,
00:24:33
while appropriations
00:24:33
to the richest districts grew
00:24:37
just 5.7%.
00:24:42
We have targeted $375
00:24:44
million
00:24:44
directly to our poor schools,
00:24:48
and we are proposing
00:24:48
an additional $213
00:24:53
million in the equity line
00:24:53
this time around.
00:24:58
In our budget, $213 million.
00:25:02
And in the area of school
00:25:02
building assistance,
00:25:06
we have earmarked $300 million
00:25:06
since 1994,
00:25:11
which is more than what was
00:25:11
spent on such assistance
00:25:14
during the entire course
00:25:14
of our state history.
00:25:19
$300 million since 1994 294.
00:25:24
Before that time.
00:25:26
Today
00:25:26
I am proposing that we again
00:25:30
double our commitment to Ohio
00:25:30
school buildings.
00:25:34
Of the $300 million.
00:25:36
200 million will be targeted
00:25:36
toward the 60 lowest
00:25:40
wealth districts around Ohio
00:25:40
property
00:25:43
and the remaining $100 million
00:25:43
designated
00:25:46
for use by our eight largest
00:25:46
urban
00:25:49
districts.
00:26:01
Now, a word
00:26:01
about school technology
00:26:04
with the strong support
00:26:04
of the General Assembly.
00:26:07
Ohio is a national leader
00:26:07
in bringing 21st
00:26:11
century technology
00:26:11
into our classrooms
00:26:14
through school
00:26:14
net and school net, plus.
00:26:17
Our new budget recommends
00:26:17
using $30 million
00:26:21
in excess lottery funds toward
00:26:24
higher school
00:26:24
net wiring initiative,
00:26:26
particularly to help schools
00:26:26
remedy the electrical problems
00:26:30
that some of them
00:26:30
have encountered.
00:26:32
We ought to take care
00:26:32
of that problem.
00:26:41
We are also recommending
00:26:42
additional dollars
00:26:42
for professional development
00:26:46
to make sure that our teachers
00:26:46
are prepared
00:26:49
to use these vital resources.
00:26:52
And recognizing the fact
00:26:54
that our teachers
00:26:54
do a significant amount
00:26:56
of their preparation
00:26:56
work outside of school.
00:26:59
We are proposing
00:26:59
the elimination of the sales
00:27:02
tax when certified teachers
00:27:02
purchase personal computers.
00:27:06
It's a little bit,
00:27:06
but it's a recognition
00:27:08
of what they're doing and will
00:27:08
help them in the classroom.
00:27:12
And this brings me to
00:27:12
the third area in our ongoing
00:27:15
education improvement agenda,
00:27:15
supporting Ohio's teachers.
00:27:21
Next to parents
00:27:21
who have not forgotten
00:27:24
that they are their children's
00:27:26
first
00:27:26
and most important teachers.
00:27:28
Our teachers
00:27:28
are the heart of education.
00:27:32
As your governor,
00:27:32
I have really enjoyed
00:27:34
visiting classrooms
00:27:34
throughout the state
00:27:37
and getting to know
00:27:37
Ohio's historic,
00:27:40
historic, heroic teachers.
00:27:42
Historic and heroic.
00:27:46
People still ask me why
00:27:48
today's teachers are as good
00:27:48
as they were 30 years ago.
00:27:52
And you know what I tell them?
00:27:53
I tell them to.
00:27:54
Teachers are better.
00:27:56
The fact is,
00:27:56
they face enormous
00:27:59
challenges, not confronted
00:27:59
by their predecessors.
00:28:03
And that is why we must do
00:28:03
even more
00:28:06
to help our teachers.
00:28:07
We must provide our teachers
00:28:07
with additional opportunities
00:28:11
for professional development
00:28:11
and growth.
00:28:13
We've redefined education,
00:28:13
as you know what I mean,
00:28:16
lifelong learning.
00:28:17
And it should certainly apply
00:28:17
to those whose profession
00:28:21
it is to help others
00:28:21
learn and succeed in life.
00:28:25
I want to thank
00:28:25
the state Board of Education
00:28:28
for developing new teaching
00:28:28
standards this past year.
00:28:31
Our new licensure
00:28:31
system is one of the first
00:28:34
and most
00:28:34
demanding in the nation,
00:28:37
and it will help guarantee
00:28:37
that our teachers
00:28:40
can get the job done where
00:28:40
it counts in the classroom.
00:28:45
That's where it's at in
00:28:45
the classroom.
00:28:49
I'm pleased that
00:28:49
we also have reached agreement
00:28:51
with Ohio's education unions
00:28:53
to develop a statewide peer
00:28:53
review and mentoring system
00:28:57
that identifies
00:28:58
and gives help
00:28:58
to those teachers who need it.
00:29:02
I'm also encouraged
00:29:02
that the state board will soon
00:29:05
complete
00:29:05
its good work on developing
00:29:07
core, a core set of students
00:29:07
standards.
00:29:10
Our School Improvement
00:29:10
agenda obviously centers
00:29:14
around our students
00:29:14
achieving higher results.
00:29:17
And I believe these academic
00:29:17
and vocational standards
00:29:21
will represent
00:29:21
another step toward that goal.
00:29:25
And today,
00:29:25
I'm pleased to announce
00:29:27
that 11 school districts
00:29:27
will participate
00:29:30
in our deregulation
00:29:30
pilot project.
00:29:33
It will allow them
00:29:33
to cut through red tape,
00:29:37
get rid of
00:29:37
some of the existing rules
00:29:39
and regulations, and begin
00:29:39
testing these new student
00:29:43
standards.
00:29:46
Ohio has also been a pioneer
00:29:46
in underwriting the cost
00:29:49
for teachers
00:29:49
to apply for certification
00:29:52
by the National Board
00:29:53
of Professional
00:29:53
Teaching Standards.
00:29:55
And one of the few
00:29:55
to provide them
00:29:57
a yearly stipend
00:29:57
once they're successful.
00:30:01
Ohio leads the nation
00:30:01
with 350 teachers
00:30:05
in the process of applying
00:30:05
for board certification.
00:30:07
And our newest budget
00:30:09
will contain funding to help
00:30:09
800 more begin the process.
00:30:13
And today, I'm pleased
00:30:13
that Ohio is fast
00:30:15
becoming recognized
00:30:17
nationally as
00:30:18
the professional development
00:30:18
state for teachers.
00:30:32
One of Ohio's
00:30:32
first teachers to become board
00:30:34
certified is here with us
00:30:34
today.
00:30:37
She teaches
00:30:37
English and language arts
00:30:40
at Walnut Hills
00:30:40
High School in Cincinnati.
00:30:43
She's an accomplished
00:30:43
author of children's books,
00:30:47
and she is Ohio's
00:30:47
Teacher of the year for 1997.
00:30:51
Please join me in welcoming
00:30:51
one of Ohio's outstanding
00:30:54
teachers, Sharon Draper.
00:31:31
Governor.
00:31:43
By the way,
00:31:44
Sharon is one of the four
00:31:44
finalist for National Teacher
00:31:48
of the year. And, Sharon,
00:31:48
we wish you good luck.
00:31:51
Bring it home to a high.
00:32:00
I believe that
00:32:00
we must take special action
00:32:02
to better support
00:32:02
those teachers like Sharon,
00:32:06
who work in our troubled
00:32:06
big city school systems.
00:32:10
We are fortunate in Ohio that
00:32:10
we have two model programs
00:32:14
the Mayor's Son Academy
00:32:14
in Cincinnati,
00:32:16
where
00:32:16
Sharon serves as a trainer,
00:32:19
and the Columbus
00:32:19
Urban Academy, which are aimed
00:32:22
at providing teachers
00:32:22
and those systems
00:32:24
with specialized
00:32:24
training and support.
00:32:28
And to help put this
00:32:29
best practice in place
00:32:29
elsewhere in Ohio,
00:32:32
we are proposing to provide
00:32:32
a challenge grant of $1
00:32:35
million each to establish
00:32:35
similar academies for teachers
00:32:40
at Akron, Cleveland,
00:32:40
Dayton and Toledo.
00:32:43
And I'm confident
00:32:45
these communities
00:32:45
will respond to the challenge.
00:32:48
I've often said
00:32:48
at the national level.
00:32:52
Our number one
00:32:52
challenge is dealing
00:32:54
with this country's
00:32:54
financial deficit
00:32:57
and that on the state
00:32:57
and local level,
00:33:00
it's the human deficit.
00:33:02
And there is no question
00:33:02
that our urban school
00:33:06
districts are contributing
00:33:06
to the human deficit.
00:33:10
And I know that some of you
00:33:11
who do not represent
00:33:11
urban areas are asking,
00:33:16
why should I support
00:33:16
special initiatives
00:33:19
directed at urban school
00:33:19
districts?
00:33:22
Don't they get enough already?
00:33:28
Although our 21 urban
00:33:30
districts comprise just 3%
00:33:34
of the total statewide,
00:33:36
they include 24%
00:33:39
of our student population.
00:33:42
And just 43% of
00:33:42
those students are graduating,
00:33:45
including just 35% at the six
00:33:50
largest school districts.
00:33:53
Ohio's greatest resource
00:33:56
is our people,
00:33:58
and thousands
00:33:58
of our young people
00:34:00
from those urban districts
00:34:02
are not fully developing
00:34:02
their God given talents.
00:34:07
And I believe that is
00:34:07
our moral responsibility
00:34:11
to respond.
00:34:12
Second, businesses
00:34:12
that are looking to expand
00:34:16
or relocate in
00:34:16
big cities are shying away
00:34:20
because they're concerned
00:34:21
about the lack of an educated,
00:34:21
trained workforce.
00:34:24
And this issue,
00:34:24
believe me, is already having
00:34:28
a negative impact
00:34:28
on our state's economy.
00:34:32
And finally, Ohio's welfare
00:34:32
and exploding corrections
00:34:36
expenditures are fueled
00:34:36
by the fact
00:34:40
that half of the people
00:34:40
on public assistance
00:34:43
and three quarters of those
00:34:43
in our prisons are dropouts,
00:34:47
with a disproportionate
00:34:47
number of them coming
00:34:51
from our urban areas.
00:34:54
Our corrections
00:34:54
budget will grow
00:34:57
four from $479
00:34:57
million in fiscal year
00:35:02
91 to a projected $1.2
00:35:02
billion by 99,
00:35:08
a staggering 149% increase.
00:35:13
And if that growth continues
00:35:13
for the next eight years,
00:35:17
Ohio's correction budget
00:35:17
will balloon
00:35:20
to almost $3 billion.
00:35:24
Now, we can't let that happen
00:35:26
because, practically speaking,
00:35:26
and you'll see it
00:35:28
in this budget, there
00:35:29
simply won't be any money left
00:35:29
for anything else.
00:35:35
We have to attack the problem
00:35:35
at its roots.
00:35:39
Now, ladies and gentlemen,
00:35:39
Ohio is already doing more
00:35:42
than any other state
00:35:44
to intervene early
00:35:44
in our children's lives.
00:35:47
Throughout, through our line
00:35:48
in the sand family
00:35:48
and first initiative.
00:35:52
We have to make sure
00:35:52
that when children
00:35:55
get to school,
00:35:55
the progress continues.
00:35:59
We know that all day
00:36:00
kindergarten
00:36:00
can have far reaching
00:36:02
positive effects on a child's
00:36:02
later academic performance.
00:36:06
And for that reason,
00:36:07
our new budget
00:36:07
will call for an expansion
00:36:09
of all day kindergarten
00:36:09
in our urban school districts.
00:36:13
Make.
00:36:14
Now, you have already
00:36:14
authorized America's
00:36:16
first bonafide
00:36:16
experiment in school choice.
00:36:20
The Cleveland
00:36:20
Scholarship Program
00:36:22
has gotten off
00:36:22
to a solid start.
00:36:24
More than 1800 low income
00:36:24
students are taking advantage
00:36:28
of this program.
00:36:29
It's terrific.
00:36:30
You ought to talk
00:36:30
to the parents about it.
00:36:32
And I am proposing
00:36:32
that we expand the program
00:36:35
to include a new kindergarten
00:36:35
class each year.
00:36:40
And last year,
00:36:40
we proposed moving forward
00:36:43
with a charter
00:36:43
school experiment this year.
00:36:46
Let's get it done.
00:36:49
Let's get it done.
00:36:58
And we recommend
00:36:58
funding a pilot
00:37:01
charter school program
00:37:01
in Lucas County.
00:37:12
I want to commend
00:37:13
state school Superintendent
00:37:13
John Goff.
00:37:16
The state board
00:37:16
members, members of my cabinet
00:37:20
and representative of Ohio's
00:37:20
urban school districts
00:37:24
who have worked diligently
00:37:24
over the past year
00:37:27
to find
00:37:27
some additional creative ways
00:37:29
to effectively address
00:37:29
our challenges.
00:37:32
First,
00:37:32
we agree with Speaker Davidson
00:37:36
that we need to ensure
00:37:36
that these districts
00:37:38
are accountable
00:37:38
to the taxpayers
00:37:41
and developing performance
00:37:41
audits, would identify
00:37:45
and quantify performance
00:37:45
benchmarks, and empower
00:37:48
districts to improve
00:37:48
on these benchmarks.
00:37:51
And second,
00:37:51
I support expanding the number
00:37:55
of resource centers from
00:37:55
the current 6 to 21 districts.
00:37:59
This will help families in all
00:37:59
urban areas in preparing
00:38:02
their children for school
00:38:02
by strengthening linkages
00:38:05
to health care
00:38:05
and other social services.
00:38:09
And with
00:38:09
respect to school violence,
00:38:11
we provided
00:38:11
funding and a prior
00:38:13
capital bill
00:38:13
for detection devices
00:38:15
to keep weapons
00:38:15
out of the school,
00:38:17
and I remember how they Pooh
00:38:17
poohed it.
00:38:18
Well, that money's gone.
00:38:19
Now, we should take
00:38:19
the next step.
00:38:22
And I support the creation
00:38:22
of discipline
00:38:24
intervention grants
00:38:25
to deal with unruly students
00:38:25
in our urban districts,
00:38:28
who are keeping everyone else
00:38:28
from learning.
00:38:41
And with a 43% graduation
00:38:41
rate,
00:38:45
we've got to do more to help
00:38:45
our urban kids stay in school
00:38:48
and make sure they
00:38:48
graduate our jobs for Ohio.
00:38:52
Graduate program
00:38:52
does just that by identifying
00:38:55
high school seniors
00:38:55
at risk of dropping out
00:38:58
and putting them back
00:38:58
on the right track toward
00:39:01
graduation and further school,
00:39:01
the military, or a good job.
00:39:06
This year,
00:39:07
Jack is serving 9000 seniors
00:39:10
and 243 schools around Ohio.
00:39:14
That represents
00:39:14
more participants
00:39:17
than any other state
00:39:18
and the jobs for America
00:39:18
graduates program.
00:39:22
We propose to dramatically
00:39:22
expand the senior program
00:39:26
to reach 12,000 students
00:39:26
over the next two years,
00:39:30
and we also intend
00:39:30
to fund a five year program
00:39:32
that targets students
00:39:32
as early as the eighth grade.
00:39:36
And a third component
00:39:36
will expand on an existing
00:39:39
pilot project that targets 16
00:39:39
to 21 year olds
00:39:42
who have already dropped out.
00:39:45
Now, those of you
00:39:45
in this chamber who know me
00:39:48
well understand
00:39:49
that I expect results
00:39:49
in everything we do
00:39:53
in state government.
00:39:54
And I've told my directors,
00:39:54
if you can't measure it,
00:39:56
don't do it.
00:39:58
And let me tell you,
00:39:58
taxpayers want the same thing.
00:40:04
And I assure you
00:40:04
that we are going to monitor
00:40:07
all of the initiatives
00:40:07
I've suggested to you today
00:40:11
to make sure they do
00:40:11
what they're supposed to do.
00:40:15
And one of the reasons
00:40:16
why I'm so enthusiastic
00:40:16
about the JAG program
00:40:19
is that 90% of the kids
00:40:19
graduate here, that 90% of
00:40:23
the kids in the program
00:40:23
graduate, and 80% go on to
00:40:27
post high school placement.
00:40:30
And today,
00:40:31
I'd like you to
00:40:31
meet one of our JAG graduates.
00:40:35
Airman First Class Jay
00:40:35
Percival, a West Carrollton
00:40:38
native, currently station
00:40:38
with the United States
00:40:41
Air Force in Biloxi,
00:40:41
Mississippi. Jay.
00:40:45
Thank you, governor.
00:40:55
Like many high school
00:40:55
students,
00:40:56
I had to make some decisions
00:40:56
to put myself on a path
00:40:59
to a happy and successful
00:40:59
life.
00:41:00
For example, I know
00:41:00
I had to get away from drugs.
00:41:03
I began using drugs
00:41:03
when I was in the ninth grade.
00:41:06
My grades were never very good
00:41:06
and drugs, and to help any.
00:41:10
The drugs affected
00:41:10
my social life.
00:41:12
I didn't hang out
00:41:12
with a lot of people.
00:41:14
And I was always very quiet.
00:41:15
It also played a part
00:41:15
in giving a press.
00:41:17
My junior year.
00:41:19
My senior year.
00:41:19
Mr. Vickers, to you
00:41:19
with this program?
00:41:21
At the advice of counselors.
00:41:23
I took the class
00:41:24
because I thought it would be
00:41:24
an easy grade.
00:41:25
I didn't expect
00:41:25
to get anything out of it.
00:41:28
To my surprise,
00:41:28
it was a great class.
00:41:30
Miss Vickers
00:41:31
and others in the West
00:41:31
Carlton Jobs for Our graduates
00:41:33
program taught me
00:41:33
very important skills,
00:41:35
like how I learned about
00:41:35
the fields I was interested
00:41:36
in, how to get a job and
00:41:36
how to communicate with people
00:41:40
who were not famous figures.
00:41:41
I would not be standing here
00:41:41
before you today.
00:41:43
After I graduated
00:41:43
from Howard, graduates
00:41:46
introduced me to a man in
00:41:46
Dayton who remodeled houses.
00:41:48
My boss was a man
00:41:48
named Clay Ohashi,
00:41:51
and he encouraged me to work
00:41:51
hard and stay away from drugs.
00:41:54
The things I learned from him,
00:41:55
I will carry with me
00:41:55
for the rest of my life.
00:41:57
He even encouraged me
00:41:57
to join the Air Force
00:41:59
to further my education.
00:42:01
Today I'm stationed at Keesler
00:42:01
Air Force Base
00:42:03
or specialized in ground
00:42:03
radio communications.
00:42:06
Miss Vickers and Mr.
00:42:07
Ohashi, along with my mother,
00:42:08
my father and my wife, Tanya,
00:42:08
have always been there for me
00:42:11
and stood
00:42:11
behind all my decisions.
00:42:13
I hope the
00:42:13
students around, all in Ohio
00:42:13
and around
00:42:16
the country, will have
00:42:16
the same opportunities I did.
00:42:17
Take part in this program.
00:42:20
If it were not for
00:42:20
this program,
00:42:21
who knows where
00:42:21
I would be today.
00:42:23
Thank you.
00:42:23
Thank you Jay.
00:42:49
Thank you. Jay.
00:42:51
You're.
00:42:51
Your story underscores
00:42:51
how one program or one person
00:42:56
can make a difference
00:42:56
in someone's life.
00:43:00
Just think about your own
00:43:00
lives.
00:43:03
Think about them
00:43:04
and the people
00:43:04
who made a difference
00:43:07
for you.
00:43:11
The education challenges
00:43:13
that I've outlined.
00:43:16
Are not unique to Ohio.
00:43:18
They're not unique to Ohio.
00:43:21
In fact,
00:43:21
the problems in America's
00:43:23
big city school systems
00:43:23
constitute
00:43:26
a national crisis.
00:43:29
If ignored, they will result
00:43:32
in a national catastrophe
00:43:35
in Ohio.
00:43:36
We're doing something about it
00:43:38
because the people
00:43:38
of this state understand
00:43:42
that a
00:43:42
crisis frightening,
00:43:42
threatening some of us today
00:43:45
ultimately threatens us all.
00:43:49
And more important,
00:43:51
we care.
00:43:53
As Doctor
00:43:53
Martin Luther King Jr.
00:43:55
Whose birthday is tomorrow?
00:43:56
One said, I can never be
00:43:56
what I ought to be.
00:44:01
Until you are
00:44:01
what you ought to be.
00:44:04
No individual or nation
00:44:04
can stand out
00:44:07
boasting of being independent.
00:44:11
We are interdependent
00:44:14
and realizing that
00:44:14
we must work with parents,
00:44:17
local communities
00:44:17
and the private sector.
00:44:21
We, the
00:44:22
elected representatives
00:44:22
of the people of this state,
00:44:26
should never rest
00:44:27
in our efforts
00:44:27
to build an education system
00:44:30
that enables all Ohioans
00:44:30
to go as far in life
00:44:34
as their God
00:44:34
given talents will take them.
00:44:50
Someday.
00:44:51
When to shine
00:44:51
and realize their dreams.
00:44:55
I suspect that each will think
00:44:55
back to that crucial point
00:44:59
when, as youngsters,
00:44:59
their lives turned around,
00:45:04
when people, some of
00:45:04
whom were strangers to begin
00:45:06
with, cared enough about them
00:45:06
to make a difference
00:45:11
with God's help.
00:45:13
And all of us in Ohio
00:45:13
working together.
00:45:16
I am confident that we will
00:45:16
continue to make a difference.
00:45:21
Thank you.
00:45:56
Thank you very much.
00:45:57
Thank.
Note : Transcripts are compiled from uncorrected captions
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