Ohio Governor Mike DeWine delivered his 2026 State of the State Address this afternoon to a joint session of the Ohio General Assembly in the House Chamber of the Ohio Statehouse.
In addition to highlighting Ohio’s major accomplishments over the last seven years, he also focused on key priorities for the rest of the year.
Reading
Reading is the key to everything, so it is essential that children learn early about the importance of books and reading.
Since Governor DeWine began his first term, First Lady Fran DeWine has made it her mission to expand the Dolly Parton Imagination Library across Ohio. With 70% of households with children under five participating, Ohio continues to have the highest number of children enrolled in the nation.
The evidence is clear that the Science of Reading is the best way to teach children how to read. With the support of the Ohio General Assembly, the Science of Reading is required to be taught in every classroom in Ohio, from preschool programs to high school.
Ohio is starting to see results in the state’s youngest learners, thanks in part to the Science of Reading. This past fall, kindergarten readiness statewide improved to 8.3%, equating to an additional 7,300 Ohio children.
Because the complete transition to the Science of Reading will take time, Governor DeWine announced additional actions to ensure Ohio’s children are being taught the right way.
- The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) will create regional “Science of Reading Instructional Implementation Teams.” The teams will be made up of trained experts whose sole focus will be on helping K-12 schools to fully execute the Science of Reading in their classrooms. These teams will also be available to assess schools that have already implemented the Science of Reading to ensure they have effectively implemented the program.
- DEW will add 50 more ReadOhio coaches in the fall, extending the reach of this program to at least 70 more schools. There are currently 97 coaches in 151 schools who work side-by-side with teachers to help them instruct the Science of Reading in their classrooms.
- DEW, with the help of the Educational Service Centers, will offer free ReadOhio coach training and credentialing to literacy coaches who are already employed by a school district.
OhioSEE
It is difficult to read in the classroom when children struggle to see. Governor DeWine and the Ohio Department of Health recently launched the new OhioSEE vision program, providing glasses for kids in kindergarten through third grade in 15 Ohio counties with the greatest need. The Governor called on all superintendents and school leaders in these 15 counties to sign their schools up to participate in the program.
Chronic Absenteeism
Last year, one out of every four of Ohio’s school children was chronically absent, which means they missed the equivalent of nearly one month of the school year. The most recent state budget that Governor DeWine signed into law requires every school district to develop a clear attendance policy by this fall.
Today, Governor DeWine announced DEW will launch a new “Statewide Attendance Dashboard” on April 15, providing real-time attendance data. This new tool will provide parents and the public with simple, fast, and transparent attendance data each week for every district and school.
These initiatives build on previous work to encourage better school attendance, including expanding access to career technical education and creating school-based health clinics in more than 100 school districts across the state.
Recess and Team Tressel Fitness Challenge
Developing healthy habits can help every Ohioan reach their God-given potential. Recess during the school day gives children the chance to be outside, but Ohio schools may only count up to two 15-minute recess periods for students in kindergarten through 6th grade.
Governor DeWine commended State Representatives Tom Young and Melanie Miller for the provisions they have included in a bill that would double the amount of recess time for schools from 30 minutes to 60 minutes per day and would require these recess periods for all students in kindergarten through 8th grade, except on days when the student has physical education class.
Governor DeWine also encouraged the Ohio General Assembly to make the Team Tressel Fitness Challenge a permanent opportunity for students in Ohio. Last year, Governor DeWine tasked Lt. Governor Jim Tressel to develop a challenge for schools to promote physical fitness. The Team Tressel Fitness Challenge has helped students in grades three through eight build lifelong healthy habits around fitness, nutrition, and sleep, while also encouraging an “attitude of gratitude” during quiet times or periods of reflection.
Cell Phones / Screentime / Social Media
A child’s mental health is equally important to their physical health. Governor DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly recently banned cell phones in all K-12 schools in Ohio. However, the issue with young people today goes beyond phones in schools.
Governor DeWine called on the legislature to do the following things:
- Prohibit the possession, creation, or distribution of child pornography that is created by Artificial Intelligence.
- Hold tech companies accountable for allowing their Artificial Intelligence to encourage, assist, endorse, or instruct anyone to harm themselves or others.
- Pass a law to require cell phone and tech companies to automatically implement parental control features to empower parents to easily monitor and control what content their kids are using, when they are using it, and for how long.
Primary Seatbelt Law
Governor DeWine has long championed efforts to improve safety on Ohio’s roadways. The most recent effort was the passage of a law to strengthen distracted driving laws in Ohio.
Looking at the results of the effectiveness of the law, Ohio has had 18,000 fewer crashes and 280 fewer traffic deaths in the first two years of enforcement compared to the two years before the enforcement began.
Today, it is estimated that 88% of people in Ohio already wear seatbelts. The 12% of the people in Ohio who don’t wear seatbelts, though, represent more than 60% of those killed in car crashes.
Governor DeWine is calling on the legislature to pass a primary seatbelt law, which will enable law enforcement to pull over cars where passengers are clearly not buckled up. This law will protect families, communities, and the people who depend on the state to keep the roadways safe.
Governor DeWine’s Closing Remarks
At the conclusion of his State of the State Address, Governor DeWine said the following:
“I will leave you with something Lieutenant Governor Tressel shared with me. He said that when he was leaving his legendary coaching days at OSU, a long-time mentor of his told him this:
‘Your greatest accomplishments and your greatest days are ahead of you if you believe that they are.’
“I have never believed more strongly that Ohio’s greatest accomplishments and greatest days are ahead of us!
“The greatest days for our workers!
“The greatest days for our children!
“And, the greatest days for every Ohio family!
“May God bless America, and may God bless Ohio.”
