Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine gives 2025 State of the State address

DeWine wrapped the address, stating, “Yes, our great State is still a work in progress, as it is with everything in life.” He continued, “But, we can always progress further, especially when it comes to filling the jobs and fully realizing the opportunities that we have created.”

“We have the playbook. We have the team. And now, together — let’s go win.”

“This past year, we lost three legendary, former Ohio legislative leaders and champions of education and workforce development: House Speaker Jo Ann Davidson, Majority Floor Leader Kirk Schuring, and Senate Minority Leader Ben Espy,” DeWine said. “They shared a deep love for this State and for our people and a great optimism about our future.”

The governor said they have heard from Ohioans that it is too hard for students to get into some of the state’s campuses. He said the state is going to change that in the budget by guaranteeing admission to the main campus of every state college or university for all Ohio high school students who are in the top 5% of their class.

DeWine said Ohio was able to award the very first Governor’s Merit Scholarship last spring to graduating seniors in the top 5% of their class who attend an Ohio college or university. These are $5,000 scholarships and are renewable each year for up to four years.

The governor said funding for these scholarships remains a top priority in the budget.

“Prior to the creation of this scholarship, only about 60% of the top 5% of Ohio’s students stayed in Ohio for college,” he said. “Now, because of this scholarship, this year, an additional 1,700 of our top students have decided to go college in Ohio.”

DeWine said Ohio for decades has used general fund dollars to help with the building or renovation of ballparks and stadiums, but argued the state now has the opportunity to stop these funds.

“My proposed increase on on-line sports gaming companies will allow us to do this and also help kids afford to play sports and participate in other activities in their schools,” he said.

DeWine said, to promote critical thinking and open dialogue on Ohio’s college campuses, the General Assembly took a step in our last budget by creating five new “Centers for Civics, Culture, and Society” — one at Miami University, Ohio State, the University of Toledo, Cleveland State, and Wright State.

DeWine said the budget establishes the “Ohio Principal Apprenticeship Program,” a two-year training program will match aspiring principals with veteran principals to better prepare them to embrace the challenges of school leadership.

“In the gallery with us today are Ohio’s 2025 Teachers of the Year,” DeWine said. “Please stand, we are grateful for what you do.”

DeWine said, “It’s time to finish the job and ban cell phones in all Ohio schools.”

“I ask the Legislature to approve the language in our budget to put an end to cell phone use during school hours in all Ohio School districts,” he said.

DeWine thanked his former lieutenant governor, Jon Husted, for his leadership. DeWine elevated Husted to the U.S. Senate seat previously held by Vice President JD Vance. Husted’s wife, Tina Husted, was in the chamber and received a round of applause.

The governor thanked Senator Andy Brenner, Representative Tracy Richardson, and former Representative Jessica Miranda for their work to pass a bill, which he signed into law in May, to require all schools to implement policies to address the use of cell phones in schools.

“We have heard repeatedly from teachers, principals, school board members, superintendents, and parents who say that when cell phones were banned during the school day, the school transformed before their eyes,” he said.

DeWine said the upcoming budget establishes a new “Children’s Dental Services Pilot Program.”

The state will partner with dental professionals in the community and school districts to deploy dental programs directly into schools — providing screenings, preventative care, and treatment to children who need these services the most, he said.

This program will focus on children at an age when vision is critical to learning to read, DeWine said.

“It will ensure that all Ohio students in kindergarten through third grade — including those who may be home-schooled or attend private schools — will not only get a vision screening, but they will also receive comprehensive eye exams if the screenings indicate a correction is needed,” he said. “And if they do need glasses — they will get them.”

DeWine said he is announcing that high-achieving schools across Ohio will soon be honored through a new “Governor’s Science of Reading Recognition Program.”

This program honors schools that are aligned with the science of reading, where teachers have fully embraced the training and where students’ reading scores are improving, the governor said.

The governor said, “We know that the very best method for teaching young children how to read is the science of reading, which goes back to the basics of phonics and sounding words out.”

DeWine said this year’s School Report Cards showed significant improvement in English Language Arts proficiency among elementary students, climbing by 2.2 percentage points among Ohio third graders, 5.2 percentage points among fourth graders, and 3.1 percentage points among fifth graders.

DeWine said, because of First Lady Fran DeWine’s dedication to expanding Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, today 70% of Ohio households, who have a child under five years-of-age, are getting a free book in the mail each month. And since the start of his administration, more than 20 million free books have been mailed to Ohio children.

Ohio has the lowest number of kids in foster care since 2016, DeWine said. The governor boasted the planned creation of regional child wellness campuses, which he said will provide safe, supportive environments for children when they cannot be with their families.

The governor also spoke in support of OhioRise, a program that coordinates care to serve the kids with the most complex physical and behavioral health needs. OhioRise now serves more than 42,000 youth by getting them the specialized help they need.

DeWine said the state has helped construct or expand 11 pediatric behavioral health facilities, which served more than 100,000 youth just since last year. Since July 2022, the state answered more than 440,000 calls, texts, and chats to Ohio’s 9-8-8 crisis and suicide lifeline.

“Despite these significant efforts, stigma, sadly often remains when it comes to hiring someone with a serious mental illness or someone once addicted to fentanyl,” said DeWine. “These Ohioans can work, and they can contribute.”

DeWine said, as Ohio’s population ages, older residents will be vital to growing the state’s workforce and stimulating the economy. “I say to our employers: Don’t forget that our seniors are a hidden gem and are often an untapped resource,” he said.

“We also need those who used to be in prison on our workforce team,” DeWine said.

The governor said the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction releases about 18,000 people back into society each year. DeWine argued it is in everyone’s best interest to get them into the workforce, which is why Ohio is preparing inmates for re-entry through specialized job training for the state’s most in-demand industries.

DeWine said the state agency known as Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities has helped almost 32,000 Ohioans with disabilities to reach their goal of employment.

“To parents of students with disabilities across Ohio: We want your child to live up to their full potential and to know that we have the services to assist you and your child on a career plan and to achieve their goals,” he said.

DeWine said he has asked Ohio’s new lieutenant governor, Jim Tressel, to lead a new effort to create “Ohio’s Workforce Playbook.” Tressel receiveed a round of applause.

“Ohio’s Workforce Playbook is really the logical extension of our economic success,” DeWine said. “The lieutenant governor is ready. He’s ready to help clear the barriers holding Ohioans back and ready to recruit everyone we can onto our Ohio workforce team.”

The governor said he is asking Tressel to focus on identifying the job, skillset, education, and talent needs in each region of Ohio. “In doing this, the lieutenant governor will bring people together,” he said.

The governor said the General Assembly has sliced more than 930 Ohio regulations — and at least 2.3 million words — from the administrative code. DeWine says the upcoming proposed budget will slash another 2.3 million words and delete 3,200 additional, “unnecessary” rules.

DeWine introduced Mike Kimevski, a 5th year electrician apprentice from Akron, and Syesha Lewis Roberts, also from Akron, who is a member of the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 219. The pair receive a round of applause.

DeWine refered to Licking County as the “Silicon Heartland,” and said Intel is changing the landscape. The governor boasted the company’s $7 billion investment, and said they’ve “poured enough concrete to build the Ohio State horseshoe six times over.”

“This investment — right here in Ohio — is a clear signal to China and to the rest of the world — that from now on, our essential manufactured products will be made in the United States of America and — once again, it will be Ohioans making the things that keep us safe.”

DeWine proclaimed “Ohio is strong,” boasting that the state has added more than 81,000 private sector jobs and has nearly 5.7 million Ohioans employed in the workforce.

The governor cited job creation in Defiance County, where First Quality Tissue will soon be employing 400 people in northwest Ohio. In Fayette County, Honda’s nearly complete electric car battery factory is set to open later this year and will employ 2,200. Near Cincinnati, Worldpay has picked Symmes Township for its new corporate headquarters, bringing more than 500 new jobs.

The governor was introduced shortly after 12:10 p.m. and processed into the Ohio House chamber with a standing ovation.

Wednesday’s speech marked DeWine’s second to last address, as the governor is term limited and is barred from seeking reelection in 2026.

Next year’s gubernatorial race has already begun, with billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy on the campaign trail to earn the Republican nomination. He is joined in that primary by Morgan County business owner Heather Hill and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.

On the Democratic side, only former Ohio Health Director Amy Acton has announced her candidacy.

A joint session of the Ohio General Assembly was in attendance at the Statehouse on Wednesday for Gov. Mike DeWine’s 2025 State of the State address, marking the second-to-last time he gave the annual speech.