Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Week in Review

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik announced more than $52 million in support for brownfield remediation and building demolition projects across the state.  

The Department of Development is awarding the funding through the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program and Building Demolition and Site Revitalization Program. Both grant programs were developed by the DeWine-Husted Administration in partnership with the Ohio General Assembly to create room for new economic opportunities in areas that currently cannot be developed due to contamination or the presence of vacant, dilapidated structures.  

Governor DeWine announced that traffic crashes in Ohio significantly decreased in the year since enforcement of Ohio's strengthened distracted driving law began.

Local peace officers and the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) began enforcing Ohio's new distracted driving law in October 2023, following a six-month grace period for motorists. The law prohibits all drivers, in most circumstances, from using or holding a cell phone or electronic device while driving. 

According to preliminary data from OSHP, there were approximately 1,112 fewer distracted driving crashes in Ohio from October 5, 2023, to October 4, 2024, compared to the 12 months prior. Fatal crashes attributed to distracted driving dropped 19.4%. 

“This is exactly what we expected would happen,” said Governor DeWine. “Ohio's tougher distracted driving law is influencing better behavior behind the wheel, leading to fewer crashes and fewer deaths. Together, we are promoting a culture of responsibility on our roads, and that’s truly something to celebrate.”

Lt. Governor Husted accepted the 2024 Champion for Charter Schools Award granted by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. The annual award honors bipartisan state policymakers who make an exceptional difference for charter school families and communities. Lt. Governor Husted started the EdChoice Scholarship in 2005 as then-Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives.

Governor DeWine and Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) Director Stephen D. Dackin announced that Ohio was awarded a $60 million Comprehensive Literacy State Development grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The funding will support Ohio teachers in providing effective literacy instruction to help students maximize their reading and writing skills.

Under Governor DeWine’s leadership and through his ReadOhio initiative, DEW is championing statewide efforts to raise literacy achievement. This includes schools aligning instruction with the Science of Reading, an approach proven through research as the best method for teaching children to read.  

“As all of our schools in Ohio become fully aligned with the Science of Reading, it is critical that our teachers have the right training and resources to properly teach their students how to read using this groundbreaking method,” said Governor DeWine. “This funding will further advance our efforts to make Ohio a model state, both in terms of how we support teachers with the training and tools they need to raise literacy achievement, and how we provide our students with the skills they need to be successful throughout life.”