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After a three year hiatus, the annual speech by the governor to state lawmakers comes back and it's back to work for the redistricting commission with some new rules and a new deadline this weekend.

The state of Ohio Welcome to the state of Ohio.

I'm Karen Kasler.

This week brought back a tradition that's been missing for three years and the continuation of a saga that's been going on for many months.

First stop, the State of the State address.

Mike DeWine.

Second one is Governor and his first since 2019 with the last to cancel because of COVID.

DeWine touted increased funding for police and state parks, advocated for more mental health services and increased gun penalties and getting tougher on distracted driving.

And he started with a look beyond Ohio.

Glory to Ukraine.

Glory to the heroes DeWine honored the family of former House Speaker Bill Batchelder, a Republican from a diner who died last month, and Marine Gunnery Sergeant James W Speedy from Cambridge, who died last week during a Naito training exercise.

DeWine proclaimed the state of the state is strong and it review tax cuts, the Intel Project and his H2O water cleanup efforts.

Then DeWine spent a chunk of his nearly hourlong speech talking about mental health, saying In spite of money being put toward programs and schools and Medicaid, mental health issues are on the rise in Ohio.

So he wants more resources into the behavioral health workforce and better crisis response and more treatment services options.

My friends, the system isn't broken.

It was just never fully built and it doesn't exist everywhere in Ohio yet.

And so we must build it.

We must do the work that has never been done before.

We must fulfill the promises made over 60 years ago, but that were never capped.

And the bottom line is this Ohioans with untreated addiction, mental illness will remain underemployed and unemployed.

And so much potential, so much potential for people, for families, for the state will be lost.

If we look the other way in the weeks ahead, I'll be coming to you with specific proposals for how we finish this important work Now, it won't happen overnight and it will take a major long term commitment from all of us.

On workforce development, DeWine said he wants more high tech equipment for career centers, community colleges and Four-Year Universities.

And he talked about the future workforce as well in the coming days.

I intend to work with you and with community leaders and with our colleges and universities.

To create a combined scholarship and mentorship program that can be replicated all over Ohio so that no child in the state lacks the guidance and direction that they need.

And so they can also have financial support to continue their education, to become career ready.

DeWine said he supports Republican sponsored bills on distracted driving and on standardizing ongoing training for law enforcement and also to create permanent funding for it.

And while standing in front of a Republican dominated legislature that's been expanding gun rights, DeWine got applause for pushing a bill cracking down on convicted violent offenders who use guns to commit crimes.

My friends, we need to get tough on the convicted or Brady convicted the convicted violent offenders who carry huge weapons in violation of the law.

If we can remove the small group of dangerous offenders from our streets the violent crime in our neighborhoods will be reduced dramatically and and most importantly, the citizens and the families who live there will be safer and live will be saved.

DeWine also said he'll be asking lawmakers to reinvest in Ohio State parks, though it's unclear whether he meant in the upcoming capital budget or in a separate proposal.

After the speech, he and first lady friend DeWine went to the South Lawn of the statehouse to plant a dogwood tree.

The speech got good reviews from Republicans, but most said they also want to learn more about the details and how DeWine will follow through.

Now, we got to we got to do our part myself, the Appalachian delegation, which I chair.

We've got to do a good job getting with the governor, making sure those investments are our number one made and number two, are spent and put to good use of trying to affect people's lives in South Asia.

As a legislator, what goes through your mind when you're hearing the address?

Does it sort of like set a game plan for like are you starting to think about what some of your priorities are going forward?

Absolutely.

It's nice to have a governor at the top that talks about wanting to care, but it's also not understanding of how to get stuff done.

We've got to count the 50 in the legislature and count the 17 in the Senate.

So we've got to work real hard on making sure the investments that he's talking about in Appalachia, that it's going to the right course and making sure we can get 50 of our colleagues on board with what the aspirations that the governor put forth.

So many of these issues are workforce issues dealing with incarcerated folks, and how do we get them trained when they come out trying to give children stable homes so that they can become productive members of our society.

So I think there is a ton of overlap.

And I mean, a lot of us bring a lot of some of these issues with us.

The children's issue is a big one.

We know we have a children's caucus and trying to address a lot of the issues that are facing our youth.

And we did give a lot of money in both budgets to try to address that problem.

And so definitely a lot of overlap.

We have some of our own policies that we would like to see implemented and I'm sure we'll see a lot of those across the finish line.

But overall, I think he hit on a lot of our top priorities.

There was a mixed reaction from Democratic lawmakers who appreciated some of the comments DeWine made, but said he stopped short of addressing serious issues in Ohio, including the redistricting saga and the chaos surrounding the upcoming primary We're going to keep chugging away at what we've been doing.

You know, it's clear where we stand as a caucus and some of the things that we want to fight for.

You know, I would hope that, you know, as we move forward, the governor is willing to, you know, extend the olive branch and work with us.

But we'll see.

Something not mentioned was redistricting.

What are your thoughts on the country?

I was I was shocked that that wasn't mentioned.

I mean, this process has made it hard for, you know, folks like myself that don't know where they're going to be running and when to start campaigning and where they're going to be campaigning or the concerns some younger people have about moving to or staying in Ohio.

I really want to see Ohio once and for all, truly welcome every person.

And that means passing the Fairness Act, especially with all of this growth and all this economic development.

If we're going to welcome the best and the brightest We need to pass that bill.

GOP leadership did an official response after the speech, which they've done for years, even though Ohio has had a Republican governor for over a decade.

House Speaker Bob Cupp said he thinks the distracted driving bill that DeWine wants is close in the House.

But Senate President Matt Huffman said that may not be true in the Senate.

The bill is actually picking up support every day.

I know Representative Abrams has been working very hard on that.

The more members know the you know, I think and understand that it does have significant safety impacts.

I don't think we're quite there yet.

But again, it's picking up votes every day.

And I think it's probably very close to having enough support to pass the House.

Well, I don't want to go.

I don't want you to think I was dodging your question.

I've been on record largely as being opposed, at least conceptually, because there were I'm concerned about the weather.

This is another example of adding an additional penalty when there are plenty of penalties for this kind of driving.

We have failure to be in reasonable control of your vehicle, reckless operation and a number of other things also.

So I think it has to do really with the details of it.

And as some people explain it to me, if you have your phone in your hand, you're guilty whether your car's even moving or not.

So I have those concerns and I have those personal liberty concerns.

I know the NAACP also has those concerns.

And so those things need to get addressed and you know, so if the House passes it, obviously, the Senate will take its look in the official Democratic response.

Senate Minority Leader Kenny Hugo said he liked parts of DeWine's speech, but said he was disappointed that the governor didn't address one key issue.

We didn't hear a lot about guns.

You know, when you think about we're going on our third year anniversary in Dayton, I think we've all seen these buttons all over Ohio.

It says do something.

When Governor DeWine went down to Dayton after shooting, the people of Dayton said, Mr.

Governor, do something.

We came back to the statehouse.

We talked among ourselves and we said what we need to do is do something and what have we done?

We passed your Stand your Ground bill.

How does that help?

It doesn't.

We've given permission for people to carry a gun without any training without informing law enforcement.

You get pulled over.

Putting not only the individual at risk, but the police officer as well.

This is something is not going to help house Minority Leader Allison Russo said there's another thing that DeWine should get behind that would keep communities safer.

That begins with strong local government funding that addresses the needs of our communities and improve public safety.

This funding has been repeatedly cut by Republicans who have controlled state government by more than $1 billion over the last decade.

Our local government funds are the primary source of funding for our police departments, our fire departments and EMS.

House Democrats also have a police reform bill that restores accountability, modernizes use of force standards, and tackles racial bias because all Ohioans deserve safe communities and full access to justice.

Assistant House Minority Leader Thomas West said he agreed the intel deal that DeWine touted was a good start for Ohio's economy.

But he thinks more needs to be done to ensure black Ohioans women and veterans are not left behind in those opportunities.

Democrats want to see even more good paying jobs across the state and wages that sustain high standard of living.

We want to hear the actions of the governor that ensures that economic development projects like these are equitable and for all Ohioans Let's get it twisted.

We really believe that that Intel, Sherman Williams, all of the projects that were named today that will help us in the future and build lives for the future.

But we want to make certain that we're also looking at diversity, inclusion and equitable all across the spectrum.

That not just jobs on the, you know, the entry level, but jobs throughout those corporations and making certain that the state of Ohio's policy these are in sync with our vision around economic development.

DeWine and lawmakers went from that speech back to the Ohio Redistricting Commission.

A few hours later, that panel set some ground rules for the independent mapmakers who's now been hired for the fourth attempt at New Ohio House and Senate maps.

And this attempt will be a lot more public than the three previous tries, all of which resulted in maps that were struck down as unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court.

One of the rules that was adopted was to create a live stream from the room at the State House or University of Florida Professor Michael McDonald.

And national demographics Corporation President Douglas Johnson are working on the maps with legislative staff and consultants.

The feed is live on the Ohio Channel's website when the group is assembled.

The new house and Senate maps are due on Monday, but Secretary of State Frank Lauro said it's too late for those races to make the May 3rd primary after the latest legislative maps approved by LRO's and the other Republicans on the redistricting commission were struck down as unconstitutionally gerrymandered.

Leros said it was no longer logistically possible to include the legislative races on the May ballot unless a federal court intervened.

Wednesday was the drop dead date.

So in his most direct directive yet, LaRose ordered boards of elections to start removing state House and Senate races and state Central Committee races from the ballot so that ballots are ready for early voting on April 5th.

Meanwhile, some of the advocates who've had a winning record in this redistricting battle say they're pulling back on the fight over the congressional map.

Now that's moved to federal court.

The League of Women Voters of Ohio and the ACLU of Ohio said they're re filing their lawsuit over the map in the Ohio Supreme Court.

But focusing on the 20, 24 election and not this year, I talked to the league's executive director about that decision.

Of course, I would love to bring fair congressional districts to the people of Ohio by 2022.

We did file a case what we realized was that we needed more time to develop that case and win in court then is allowable.

The calendar just doesn't allow us to do that before the 2022 election.

Even if the primaries moved back.

We think that it would not allow that.

And so what we filed was this what we filed was a request by the Ohio Supreme Court to strike down the Congressional maps before 2024.

So you say that you're intending to focus now with the refiling of this lawsuit on the 2024 election.

But that arguably means that according to your view of these maps you feel the maps are rigged, that the 20, 22 election will be under rigged maps.

And so what makes you think that it's going to be any better in 2024 that the Republicans won't come into 20, 24 with an advantage.

What makes you think that things are going to be different then.

You know the redistricting reforms that the voters placed into the Constitution in 20, 15 and 2018 were supposed to curb the worst excesses of gerrymandering but they were works at compromise.

And what we're seeing is that the map makers are not respecting the letter and spirit of those laws.

But at the end of the day League of Women Voters can't change the primary date.

League of Women Voters can't make these individuals just honor voters and the Ohio Constitution.

And so we have to look at what our options are and choose from, quite frankly, a lot of imperfect options to decide what we think could possibly bring the best results for voters.

And it's painful to have one election cycle under this terrible congressional map.

On the other hand, it would be far more painful if we ended up in federal court.

And for some reason, the map actually got worse.

And our ability to secure fair maps in the future also became harder because of a precedent those court cases set.

And so it's confusing and it's hard to understand.

What I can say is that we will continue to do everything we can for the people of Ohio.

We're very hopeful for the Ohio statehouse maps that they will get better.

They do each time.

It would be nice if it was more efficient of a process of getting them better.

And we are here to figure out the best way to get congressional districts that the people of Ohio expect and deserve Your decision has been characterized by some on social media and other people who have advocated for what you've advocated for in the past is giving up.

And you've said the League of Women Voters is a hundred years old and never gives up.

But can you understand why people are feeling this way?

Yes, absolutely.

We are all we're out.

We are all frustrated and at the end of the day, the political operatives who've been controlling this process have forced us into bad decisions.

It's just different kinds of bad or imperfect pathways forward.

And so what I say to everyone is, we're here.

We're not going anywhere.

We also, as the League of Women Voters, can't just think about maps that are so important to us.

And we've been working on it since the 1970s.

We have to also think about election administration.

One of the other concerns I have is that right now boards of elections are have been directed to put the congressional candidates on the ballot.

And there's no indication from the General Assembly that they're going to move that date.

Those ballots need to be sent out within a week or so.

And we have to balance all of those needs with the goals of bringing a democracy that really functions in terms of fair districts.

Too.

The Philip Randolph Institute have been working with the League of Women Voters and the ACLU of Ohio on the congressional map, but it's set in a state with this week that it's withdrawing from the lawsuit that focuses on the 2024 election cycle.

Some Ohio Republicans have floated the idea of impeaching Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor, who has joined with the Ohio Supreme Court's three Democrats and ruling all the maps produced by the GOP dominated redistricting commission are unconstitutionally gerrymandered.

Representative Scott Whigham of Wayne County tweeted it out, and the topic came up in a meeting of Republican leadership.

But two former Ohio Supreme Court justices who served with O'Connor said the calls for impeachment are unusual and not serious.

Republican former Justice Paul Pifer now heads the Ohio Judicial Conference, which is made up of all seven Supreme Court justices and more than 700 other judges.

That's just coffee shop talk.

Certainly a lot of legislators are furious with the chief justice.

Make no mistake, about that.

But there won't be any follow through with any chatter about impeachment, but that just won't happen.

I also talked with former Justice Bill O'Neill, who was the only Democrat on the court for a few years after he defeated now Speaker Bob Cupp when Cupp ran for reelection to the court in 2012.

The only thing I can say is, wow, I'm just stunned that the Republican Party would suggest that Chief Justice O'Connor should be removed or impeached or even criticized Let's be very honest here.

The people of Ohio amended the Constitution and they said they're they're tired of these gerrymandered districts and is tired of it, and now they're illegal.

Now we've got now we've got a commission that's not doing their job, there's no question.

You know, the court has rejected three different maps.

You know, it's not just the chief justice.

That's by a four to three vote.

I think what's being lost in the shuffle here, and I think it's a very important loss, is there's two constitutions involved here.

The people of Ohio amended the Ohio Constitution, and they said there shall be no more gerrymandering.

The short version right there, there's a U.S. Constitution that says there's going to be fair elections and we're all entitled to it.

And I'm a I'm a firm believer.

I've been watching this from the distance and obviously not involved anymore.

I think it's going to be two fingers right here.

Control, print I think a I think a federal judge is going to ultimately say, I'm going to hit the control print mechanism.

It's going to print the maps.

And these will be the maps.

And the reason that hasn't happened so far is got a really good, good reason.

The federal government will not intercede in a state election matter until the state has proven they're either incapable or unwilling to follow the Constitution.

I think we're at that level right now.

I think we're really there.

So they can they can dance all they want.

The chief justice is doing her job.

I applaud her but the noise makers off in the distance.

They should be ashamed of themselves.

In my conversations with some of the folks that I've talked to, one referred to her as a rogue judge, that she's joined the Democrats and these rulings.

You worked with Maureen O'Connor.

You were the sole member of the opposite party on the highest court.

Would you were there for a time.

Do you see her as a liberal justice, a rogue judge?

No, no.

She's done a wonderful job as the chief.

And she always she always tries to stop me from saying this.

But when I was the sole Democrat on the Supreme Court of Ohio, the justice that I voted most often with was Maureen O'Connor.

She she could always find the middle ground She was reasonable then.

She's being reasonable now.

I'm just I'm embarrassed for the people of Ohio that anybody would suggest that you put the word impeachment out in chief justice in the same sentence.

It's not going to happen, by the way.

That's actually what your former colleague, Justice Paul Piper, was just telling me.

He doesn't think that this is going to happen.

But certainly the talk about impeachment has to be concerning potentially for a member of the judiciary.

There's checks and balances here and you've got the legislature and people in the legislature saying that they want to do this with regard to a member of the judiciary over an opinion they don't like.

This is one of the most important cases that the chief has sat on in all of her years.

And to suggest that it's a frivolous or off the reservation vote is is insulting.

It's absolutely insulting.

They're there.

There's no question in my mind.

Obviously, I was criticized when I was on the court on many different things, and that's it comes with the job.

But I would I would say today it suggests that the group dynamics are you threatened to impeach me and you've used solidified my vote When you talk about group dynamics, that's another thing that has been brought up behind the scenes talk that there is some tension on the Supreme Court among the justices wouldn't be the first time.

There have been times in the past when there were some tensions.

It, though, seems kind of extraordinary to talk about impeaching or that a chief justice might be ruling a particular way because of a disagreement with another justice, isn't it?

Right.

By definition, there's there's always tension on the Supreme Court.

It's the last it's the last house on the street, you know, and you've got oh, you're always going to have seven experienced people who have strong feelings So there's always going to be tension there.

But, you know, when I left the court were my clerks and I put together a folder that showed the number of cases that I was on in the majority in four to three votes, meaning now that I had to be there to get the right outcome.

So one vote does make a big difference on the Supreme Court of Ohio.

And but if you want me to predict, I'm going to predict real quickly here.

There's going to be no May 3rd primary.

It's not going to happen.

I've spoken to people at the boards of elections.

How do you send how do you send ballots out to people if you don't know what district they live in?

It's nonsense.

It's absolute nonsense.

Well, right now, the May 3rd primary appears to still be on for the statewide offices.

Three debates are set for Monday and Tuesday.

At Central State University in Wilberforce, produced by the Ohio Debate Commission.

Monday morning at 1130 is the Democratic U.S. Senate debate with Morgan Harper, Tracy Johnson, and Tim Ryan, the seven contenders for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination debate Monday night at 7:00.

I'm moderating that event.

The Republican gubernatorial debate was canceled after incumbent Mike DeWine declined to participate.

But Democrats John Cranley and Nan Whaley will debate Tuesday evening at seven.

We will recap votes next week.

That's it for this week for my colleagues at the Statehouse News Bureau of Ohio Public Radio and Television.

Thanks for watching.

Please check out our Web site at State News dot org.

And you can follow us.

And the show on Facebook and Twitter.

And please join us again next time for the state of Ohio.

Support for the statewide broadcast of the state of Ohio comes from medical mutuel, providing more than 1.4 million Ohioans peace of mind with a selection of health insurance plans online at med mutual dot com slash Ohio by the law offices of Porter Right Morris and Arthur LLP.

Now with eight locations across the country, Porter Right is a legal partner with a new perspective to the business community.

More at Porter right dot com and from the Ohio Education Association representing 124,000 members who work to inspire their students to think creatively and experience the joy of learning online at OHEA.org