Throughout the week, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted provided updates on Ohio's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other state initiatives.
For the seventh week, Governor DeWine continued touring Ohio COVID-19 vaccination clinics, including stops in Franklin and Mahoning counties. To date, Governor DeWine has visited over 35 clinics statewide.
In the photo above, Governor DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine tour a vaccination clinic at St. Stephen's Community House in Columbus, Ohio.
On Tuesday, Governor DeWine issued the following statement on the conviction of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd:
“A jury in Minneapolis has spoken by convicting Derek Chauvin of second and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd.
“Our system of justice worked. The jury members listened to both sides, weighed the evidence, and came to this verdict.
“As we go forward as a nation, we must learn from the tragic death of George Floyd.”
Also on Tuesday, Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor Husted announced their support for the “Keep Nine” Amendment, a bi-partisan Congressional amendment that would keep the total of U.S. Supreme Court Justices at nine.
The proposed amendment would add 13 words to the U.S. Constitution: “The Supreme Court of the United States shall be composed of nine Justices.”
“For over 150 years, the U.S. Supreme Court has been comprised of nine justices. Over the years, efforts to alter the composition of the court have always been met with skepticism by the American people of attempting to politicize the court. Keeping the number of justices at nine enshrined in the Constitution will prevent any political party from tampering with the court for political gain,” said Governor DeWine.
“To pack the Court is to politicize the Court with the consequence of further undermining trust in our institutions and hardening, rather than healing, our divisions. I support efforts, including the Keep Nine amendment, that protect the Court from political overreach in order to preserve the independence and trust in America’s federal judicial system,” said Lt. Governor Husted.
For more information on the Keep Nine coalition, visit www.keepnine.org.
Also on Tuesday, Lt. Governor Husted, who also serves as Director of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, announced the launch of the High School Tech Internship Pilot Program, a new internship opportunity that will introduce 100 high school students to technology careers and businesses in Ohio.
This pilot program was created in partnership with the Ohio Development Services Agency, the Ohio Department of Education, and the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, along with input from Ohio’s business community.
“Ohio has high school students who have demonstrated competency in these tech areas at the same level as many people already in the workforce," said Lt. Governor Husted. “We know students stay in Ohio if they are connected to businesses at an earlier age, and that’s exactly what this pilot is doing. The solution to your workforce shortage may be right under your nose at your local high school.”
This announcement launches the opportunity for Ohio employers to connect with pilot sites to offer internships and receive reimbursement for a portion of the intern’s wages. Interns will be placed in roles that focus on software, data, cloud and IT infrastructure, and cybersecurity. Students will be expected to perform job duties similar to what would be expected in an entry-level position.
On Wednesday, Governor DeWine announced that 38 percent of Ohioans have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination shot as of that day. Although cases have plateaued, virus variants are more contagious among those who have not been vaccinated.
"Even though the numbers are getting better and more people are getting vaccinated, the virus is now more dangerous than it was a few months ago for those who haven't been vaccinated," said Governor DeWine.
"Unvaccinated Ohioans lack the same protection against this virus as those who are vaccinated," said Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, chief medical officer at the Ohio Department of Health. "The virus is now in more contagious forms that put younger people at much greater risk, including the risk of ending up in the hospital. Essentially, the new variants have evolved to stick much more easily to our cells, so it takes less of the virus and less exposure to make one sick. Add to that the fact that more older Ohioans have been vaccinated, and it adds up to mean that if you’re young and unvaccinated, what may not have been much of a concern to you this fall should be a concern now."
Dr. Vanderhoff also warned that Ohioans should not count on herd immunity until more people are vaccinated.
The vaccine is now more widely available and there is no shortage. Ohioans can visit gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov to look for open appointments or call 833-4-ASK-ODH to book an appointment over the phone. Ohio's mass vaccination clinic at the Wolstein Center in downtown Cleveland is also now booking appointments for next week. First doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be offered. Appointments for the mass vaccination clinic can be booked via the aforementioned methods.
NEW PSAs
Governor DeWine introduced three new public service announcements that encourage Ohioans to get vaccinated.
In an effort to continually improve Ohioans’ experiences with the Ohio Unemployment Office, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) Interim Director Matt Damschroder shared several action updates.
The ODJFS team has been working with the Public-Private Partnership (P3 Team) to make improvements to the call center, which now has an average call handle time of less than 10 minutes (the lowest since the pandemic started). There is also real progress on the claims backlog. In addition, new tools have been implemented to enhance fraud detection including additional identity verification requirements and new IT measures, such as Experian and LexisNexis technology, to verify the identity of unemployment applications.
LAW ENFORCEMENT REFORM EFFORTS
Governor DeWine outlined law enforcement reform efforts made in the past year, efforts that are pending, and efforts that will be announced in the near future.
"As we go forward as a nation, we must learn from the tragic death of George Floyd," said Governor DeWine. "His death laid bare some of our deep divisions in this country. My goal and my job every day is to do what I can do to unite people, to show them what they have in common."
Governor DeWine took several executive actions regarding law enforcement reform last year, including:
On June 17, 2020, Governor DeWine ordered every cabinet agency to review use-of-force policies and ban the use of chokeholds unless deadly force would be otherwise authorized.
Governor DeWine ordered the Ohio State Highway Patrol to begin outfitting troopers with body cameras in addition to dash cameras. The purchase of these body cameras is underway.
Governor DeWine established the Office of Law Enforcement Recruitment within the Office of Criminal Justice Services.
Governor DeWine ordered the Ohio Community Police Collaborative to develop a standard for law enforcement's response to mass protests. That standard has been adopted.
$10 million in grant money to assist local police agencies to buy body cameras.
$1 million in grant funding to support local police agencies' innovative initiatives to recruit women and minorities into law enforcement careers.
Governor DeWine also announced on Wednesday that legislation will soon be introduced by State Representative Phil Plummer that will increase accountability and transparency in law enforcement.
The bill is expected to:
Establish a peace officer oversight board similar to oversight boards in other professions
Establish a use-of-force database
Establish an officer-discipline database
Require the independent investigation of officer-involved critical incidents
Establish an independent, sustainable funding source for law enforcement training in Ohio
The forthcoming bill was developed with the help of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office; veteran law enforcement officers; organizations, including the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police and Buckeye State Sheriffs' Association; and in consultation with civil rights leaders and activists.
STATEWIDE LITTER CAMPAIGN
Governor DeWine announced a new statewide litter campaign that will be led by the Ohio EPA, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and Ohio Department of Transportation. The campaign will prioritize and educate Ohioans on how a little litter contributes to the bigger, statewide problem. Part of the campaign will include various events held by the agencies and engagement with partner organizations, including a spring litter summit.
Additional information about the campaign is forthcoming.
In accordance with the orders issued by the President of the United States of America to honor the life and service of former Vice President Walter Mondale, Governor DeWine on Wednesday ordered that the flags of the United States and the State of Ohio be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds throughout the state until sunset on the day of his interment.
Also on Wednesday, Governor DeWine announced several judicial appointments:
Lisa L. Sadler has been appointed to the Tenth District Court of Appeals.
Sadler, of Columbus, will assume office on May 3, 2021, and will be replacing Justice Jennifer Brunner. Sadler will need to run for election in November 2022 for the full term commencing January 1, 2023.
Nathan J. Hudak has been appointed to the Cleveland Municipal Court.
Hudak, of Cleveland, will assume office on May 3, 2021, and will be replacing Judge Emanuella D. Groves, who was elected to a different bench. Hudak will need to run for election in November 2021 for the full term commencing January 4, 2022.
Governor DeWine announced additional appointments on Thursday, including to the Bureau of Workers' Compensation Board of Directors, Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board, and Ohio Real Estate Commission.
In honor of the life and service of U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Kyle McKee of Lake County, who was killed on November 12, 2020, in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, Governor DeWine on Friday ordered that U.S. and Ohio flags be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds throughout Lake County and at the Ohio Statehouse, the Vern Riffe Center, and the Rhodes State Office Tower in Columbus from sunrise to sunset on the day of his memorial, Saturday, April 24, 2021.
All other public buildings and grounds throughout the state may fly the flags of the United States and the State of Ohio at half-staff at their discretion for the same time period.
As of Friday, there have been 1,061,907 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in Ohio. Additionally, 19,122 confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths have occurred. A total of 55,560 people have been hospitalized, including 7,707 admissions to intensive care units.
For more information on Ohio's response to COVID-19, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH.
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