Gov. Mike DeWine drew from his own legacy for his last joint State of the State address Tuesday but made some final requests of the legislature that received mixed reactions.
“I’m glad he talked about his successes, which I think are also in many ways the General Assembly’s successes,” House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) told reporters.
New requests fall flat with majority caucus
Members of the majority caucus didn’t hear much they want to act on in DeWine’s hourlong remarks Tuesday afternoon. If it costs money, Huffman said it likely won’t get a look until the next budget cycle, after DeWine will have already vacated the office.
DeWine again proposed a primary seatbelt law, allowing police to pull over vehicles with unbuckled drivers or passengers. He first asked the legislature to pass that in 2024, but the idea did not move then, and seems to still be a nonstarter.
“Obviously, people want people to wear their seatbelts, people think it’s important they wear their seatbelts, the data says that if they wear their seatbelts, they’re less likely to suffer more serious injuries if they get into an accident,” Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) told reporters. “To what extent is this going to be used in a manner that may be targeting individuals?”
And DeWine’s calls for bills to regulate artificial intelligence, including banning child sexual abuse material generated by AI, got noisy cheers in the chamber.
Huffman, however, said it’s not going to be a quick fix, and he questioned the constitutional authority of another proposal, mandating parental controls on cellphones.
“We’re going to have to be advised about how to move forward,” Huffman said.
DeWine, who focused almost exclusively on children, education and safety in his final State of the State, did not hit on other major areas, like taxes, abortion, or energy.
Minority caucus sees alignment, notes missing subjects
While Democrats in the Ohio House and Senate said they liked some of what DeWine said, the minority caucus leaders delivered remarks that, combined, were nearly as long as DeWine’s but told a different story.
Democrats said they had questions. Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) asked a Reagan-esque one.
“One of the questions we need to ask ourselves is, are Ohioans better off than they were last year?” Antonio said.
House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) referred directly to DeWine’s comments about the condition of the state.
“He told us that the state of Ohio is strong, but whose success is he talking about?” Isaacsohn said.
Isaacsohn said he’s concerned about what DeWine didn’t say Tuesday.
“He didn’t talk about property taxes keeping people out of their homes,” Isaacsohn said. “He didn’t talk about child care and housing being out of reach for too many families; he didn’t talk about the affordability crisis. He talked about the Presidential Fitness Test, which is good, but it’s not what Ohioans need.”
Isaacsohn and Antonio said that too many Ohio families are struggling to afford the basics—housing, food, education, and health care. Democrats blamed what their colleagues across the aisle prioritize at the Statehouse.
“Because for 20 years, politicians in charge in Columbus have chosen to benefit the people who are already doing very well at the expense of everybody else,” Isaacsohn said.
While Democrats outlined their own ideas, they say would better address the concerns of Ohioans, they don’t hold enough offices in the legislature to change course on many issues.
