Statehouse Update with OCA President Chris Long

Statehouse Update with OCA President Chris Long

On this week's program, we provide you with an update from the Ohio Statehouse.  We recap the State of the State Address that Governor DeWine delivered last week with the proposals that he highlighted to increase school choice and a major push for reading proficiency in all grade levels. The Governor also announced that if a student graduates within the top 5% of their high school class and attends a college or university in Ohio, the state would provide a $5,000 grant that could be renewed each of the four years till graduation.  

The D-Day Prayer Project: Mission Accomplished - A Prayer for the Nation. The prayer and the Circle of Remembrance are now completed and open to the public. We had the opportunity to visit Washington on January 21st to view the prayer for the first time and to talk with visitors who were reading the prayer plaque and visiting the monument. 

Part 2 Greg Lawson, Senior Fellow at the Buckeye Institute, discusses with OCA President Chris Long the specifics of Governor DeWine's budget proposals. The Governor focused on education and mental health,  proposed economic regional development zones, as well as career center training and expanding the trades programs. He addressed the current educational crisis as students have fallen behind in their pathway to graduation, and specifically that 40% are not proficient in reading at their grade level. He announced an initiative to help every student become proficient in reading at their grade level. He also announced an expansion of school choice. In addition, he proposed, "If you are in the top 5% of your high school graduating class-- wherever you go to high school in Ohio -- we plan to reward you with a $5,000 a year scholarship, also renewable for each of 4 years, if you choose to attend a college or university here in Ohio." Here to discuss the details is Greg Lawson of the Buckeye Institute.