| *** DeWine’s state address: ‘Ohio is strong’ Credit: AP • The story: Ohio’s term-limited Gov. Mike DeWine delivered his second-to-last State of the State address this week, promoting the state as a regional economic leader with work still to do. Here are some takeaways from the address: • Economic strength: Ohio has more jobs than ever before, according to the Republican governor.As of January, Ohio had an adjusted unemployment rate of 4.6% and about 5.7 million people in its workforce, and that’s before a handful of forthcoming job-creating projects are up off the ground. • Pushback: Democrats, meanwhile, questioned how much that economic prosperity is really helping Ohioans who have seen property taxes and the day-to-day cost of living soar. • Workforce coordinator: Former Ohio State University football coach Jim Tressel, in his new role as Ohio’s lieutenant governor, will coordinate a regional approach between universities, career tech schools and local businesses to help Ohio meet the demand of forthcoming jobs. • Early health interventions: DeWine is pushing for more schools to partner with health care providers so kids can receive medical care at school-based clinics. He also wants the state to ensure every student from kindergarten through third grade gets glasses, if needed. And, he’s hoping to start a pilot program to help kids receive dental care in counties with a shortage of professionals. • Practical skills: DeWine’s address harped on the need to develop practical skills in Ohio’s youth. He said he’s urging his departments to create programs to help kids budget, pay bills, vote in elections, do basic first aid, prepare basic meals and more. Most critical on the list is driver’s ed, which DeWine is leading a charge to move back into public schools instead of through third-party vendors. He says courses are too expensive and too scarce in too much of Ohio. • Here’s my full story on the State of the State. Senate bill could pave way to Ten Commandment displays on school grounds Credit: AP • The story: In what’s framed as a bid to expand students' grasp on history, the Ohio Senate Education Committee is considering a bill that would mandate the display of at least one state-approved historical document in every classroom in the state. • The caveat: The list of 10 documents currently prescribed in the bill includes the Ten Commandments. Others include the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Northwest Ordinance, the Mayflower Compact, the Magna Carta, and the God-centric mottoes of Ohio and the United States. • Quote: “The reason for this bill is to expose our students to the documents which have, in America, served as the backbone of our legal and moral tradition, as a people,” bill sponsor Sen. Terry Johnson, R-McDermott, told the committee in February, framing each of the documents as foundational to American government. • Opposition: The ACLU, on the other hand, called the bill a “plainly obvious attempt to impose explicit religious beliefs and practices on young, captive audiences in our public schools.” • Monuments: Senate Bill 34 also allows schools to build monuments with one, or more, of the listed documents inscribed into it. While the Ten Commandments are a few hundred words, most of the other documents contain a thousand or more words. • Cost: Both the in-class displays and the monuments could be paid for under S.B. 34 by community organizations willing to donate funds. Those same organizations could donate the displays or monuments themselves, which the ACLU argued would open the door for church contributions. • Here’s my full story on the bill. Local political news of the week A Dayton rally was held at Courthouse Square Saturday, March 8, International Women's Day. Photo by Russell Florence Jr. Credit: Russell Florence • Rights rally: A rally in support of women’s rights in celebration of International Women’s Day brought a large turnout this week to Courthouse Square in downtown Dayton. Here’s Russel Florence, Jr., on the rally. • Red in Greene: After a tie vote to determine whether a Republican or Democrat will lead the Greene County Board of Elections following the prompt resignation of its previous Republican director, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose broke the tie this week in favor of the Republican. London Bishop has the full story. • Fire alarms: The chief of the Miami Twp. fire department, which serves Yellow Springs, is suspended amid an investigation into alleged misconduct including mishandling of payroll, according to documents obtained by the Dayton Daily News. London Bishop has the story. State political news of the week Offices of Transformational & Inclusive Excellence on Miami University campus Tuesday, March 4, 2025 in Oxford. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF Credit: Nick Graham • DEI on campus: Our investigation into state records founddiversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at Miami University are spread over six departments with a combined budget of $3.7 million and that Wright State’s Division of Inclusive Excellence has a budget of roughly $650,000 — both universities would have to change if a bill banning DEI initiatives at state universities becomes law. Here’s the story from Eileen McClory and Josh Sweigart. • Work mandates: Ohio is asking the feds for approval on its plan to place work requirements on certain Ohioans receiving Medicaid expansion benefits, which could impact some 61,000 people over the next two years. Here’s the story from Samantha Wildow and another story on Senate support from me. • House tries cannabis bill: The Ohio House split from the Senate last week by introducing a less stringent reining-in of Ohio’s voter approved cannabis laws. Their proposal preserves 12 plant home-grow, allows Ohioans to smoke on their patios, and bans unlicensed sales of intoxicating hemp. Here’s my story. • Ohio DOGE: State employees won’t be getting emails asking them to detail their weekly accomplishments, but the new Ohio House Republican DOGE caucus members say their efforts will produce government efficiency. Here’s Denise Callahan on the new caucus. National political news of the week Credit: Bryant Billing • Contracts cut: The U.S. Department of Agriculture suspended a program that brought $26 million to farmers and food banks across southwest Ohio following the Trump administration’s approval of steep cuts to the USDA. Sydney Dawes has the full story. • Dividend?: As the Department of Government Efficiency, led by billionaire Elon Musk, continues to reduce government spending by cutting federal jobs and programs, Americans — including respondents to a Dayton Daily News survey — ponder the possibility of a DOGE stimulus check. Here’s Sydney Dawes with the latest. • Fed central: Nearly one in four federal civilian employees in Ohio are in Montgomery, Greene and Miami counties, making the Miami Valley particularly vulnerable to the Trump administration’s efforts to drastically reduce the size and payroll of the federal government. Here’s Cornelius Frolik with the story. | 