WEEK IN REVIEW
Friday, May 13, 2022

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Week in Review

For the week ending May 13, 2022

Governor DeWine celebrates the third annual Inland Fish Ohio Day at Deer Creek Lake with friends and family.

On Saturday,?Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Director Mary Mertz celebrated Ohio?s abundant inland fishing resources at the third annual Inland Fish Ohio Day at Deer Creek Lake in Fayette and Pickaway counties.

The event was co-sponsored by the Ohio Conservation Federation, Friends of Deer Creek, Great Ohio Lodges, and the ODNR Divisions of Wildlife and Parks and Watercraft.

?Fishing is one of my favorite outdoor activities,? said Governor DeWine. ?Ohio offers many exceptional inland fishing locations, including Deer Creek Lake, which is close to some of our largest cities and is a popular fishing destination. I encourage Ohioans to get outside, cast a line, and enjoy the many outstanding fishing destinations our state has to offer.?

Deer Creek Lake?has more than 1,300 acres of water to explore and is well known for its saugeye, crappie, sunfish, and white bass fishing. Guests at the Inland Fish Ohio Day event participated in shoreline and small boat fishing.

Governor DeWine tours the Miami Valley Regional Crime Lab where his new?Ohio Crime Lab Efficiency Program will be utilized.

On Monday, Governor DeWine visited the Miami Valley Regional Crime Lab on Monday to discuss his new?Ohio Crime Lab Efficiency Program?which was developed to help?eliminate evidence-processing backlogs and increase the speed at which criminal evidence is analyzed in certified crime laboratories across the state.??

Governor DeWine stands alongside Henry Armstrong and Conrad Weiner.

The Governor also hosted?the 42nd?Annual Governor?s Holocaust Commemoration at the Cincinnati Museum Center on Monday.? Both Conrad Weiner, who survived the forced labor camp Budi in Transnistria, and Henry Armstrong, who helped liberate Gunskirchen Lager, a concentration camp in Austria, were honored at the event. Governor DeWine signed an?executive order?in April affirming his commitment to combating incidents of antisemitism.

Additionally, on Monday,?Lt. Governor Jon Husted provided remarks at the ribbon cutting ceremony of BlueScope's?$700 million expansion of their mill at North Star. The expansion, announced in 2019, will increase hot-rolled coil production at the facility by 850,000 tons annually and has added over 100 new jobs.

BlueScope is using?TechCred?to upskill their workforce and has been approved for funding during 7 application periods.

The Lt. Governor also took part in a roundtable discussion at the Fostoria Learning Center,?a skills-based training facility that works in conjunction with local OhioMeansJobs centers, focusing on high-demand job and career training for the Fostoria area and surrounding community residents. Current programming includes Medical Assisting, Phlebotomy, Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT), Welding, Mechatronics (Basic Manufacturing), Electrical Apprenticeships, Carpentry and computer training. The FLC also offers refresher classes in reading, writing, and math for those individuals wanting to complete their High School Equivalency/GED or take a college placement test.

On Tuesday, Governor DeWine and ODNR Director Mary Mertz announced that $3 million in H2Ohio grant funding will be directed to nine wetland projects to help improve water quality in the Ohio River Basin.?

Awards will go to projects in Athens, Butler, Clark, Delaware, Franklin, Mahoning, Montgomery, Pickaway, and Wayne counties to create wetlands, restore wetlands on hydric soils, and/or enhance water quality at existing wetlands and floodplains.?

"By expanding the reach of H2Ohio, we are working not only toward water quality, but also to a better quality of life for all Ohioans,? said Governor DeWine.? ?Water issues exist everywhere, and these new projects will ensure more communities get the opportunity to experience the benefits these wetlands provide for water quality, wildlife, and recreational purposes.?

This is the second round of H2Ohio grants focused exclusively on the Ohio River Basin. In round one, ten wetland projects were awarded a total of $4.3 million to address nutrient loading and contribute to water quality improvement in the Ohio River and its tributaries.?

?It?s exciting to share the nature-based approach to water quality we have been implementing in the northern part of the state with even more communities,? said ODNR Director Mary Mertz.? ?It has always been our goal to extend the H2Ohio initiative across the entire state, and we are glad to be able to support these new projects in the Ohio River Basin.?

Also on Tuesday,?Governor DeWine issued the following statement regarding the selection of a new Superintendent of Public Instruction:

"I congratulate Steve Dackin on his selection as Superintendent of Public Instruction by the State Board of Education.? His experience, both as a member of the Board and in public education, will help him be an effective voice for Ohio?s students and their parents as he leads the Department of Education."

Lt. Governor Husted and Second Lady Tina Husted help recognize the winners of the 2022 Governor's Awards for the Arts in Ohio.

On Wednesday, Lt. Governor Husted, accompanied by Second Lady Tina Husted, provided remarks at the 2022 Governor?s Awards for the Arts in Ohio?recognizing Ohio artists for their impactful and visionary leadership in the state?s creative sector and their sustained dedication to promoting artistic excellence.??

A tradition since 1971, the Governor's Awards showcase and celebrate exceptional Ohio artists, arts organizations, arts leaders,?patrons, and business support of the arts. A committee of the Ohio Arts Council Board submits?selections to the Governor.?Nine winners have been selected to receive Governor?s Awards for the Arts in Ohio this year.?Award recipients are presented with the only arts award in the state that is conferred by the Governor of Ohio.?

Lt. Governor Husted and Second Lady Husted check out semiconductor materials in the lab.

Lt. Governor Husted?and Second Lady?Husted?had the opportunity to tour the University of Cincinnati's?College of Engineering and Applied Sciences' semiconductor cleanroom on Wednesday and learn about UC?s initiatives to align their programs with the needs of Intel's workforce.

Lt. Governor Husted speaks at the Ohio Business Roundtable Ohio CEO Summit event on Thursday.

On Thursday, Lt. Governor Husted spoke about the importance of collaboration at the Ohio Business Rountable Ohio CEO Summit in Columbus.

In accordance with the orders issued by the President of the United States of America and in?remembrance of the more than one million American lives lost to COVID-19, Governor DeWine?ordered?on Thursday 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 of Ohio until sunset on May 16, 2022.

Governor DeWine announces a plan to increase the number of behavioral healthcare providers to meet growing demand alongside cabinet members and other leaders of Ohio's behavioral healthcare and higher education communities.

On Friday, Governor DeWine, joined by Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) Director Lori Criss and Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor Randy Gardner and various leaders of Ohio?s behavioral healthcare and higher education communities today announced a plan to increase the number of behavioral healthcare providers to meet growing demand.

?The health and success of Ohio?s families and communities depends on our ability to recruit, train, and retain the best talent to ensure Ohio has the most robust?behavioral health workforce?possible,? said Governor DeWine. ?Behavioral health care workers are a valued and vital part of our healthcare system, and our efforts today are focused on helping to quickly infuse more qualified professionals into behavioral health care workplaces throughout the state. I look forward to working with the General Assembly, Ohio?s providers, and our colleges and universities on this innovative plan.?

The planned investment of $85 million of federal funds gives the state an opportunity to make education more attainable and affordable for students committed to behavioral healthcare careers. The funding will be dedicated to enhancing paid internship and scholarship opportunities for students working to achieve behavioral health certifications and degrees at Ohio?s two- and four-year colleges and universities and other educational career development settings. It will also help remove financial barriers from obtaining licenses, certifications, and exams necessary for employment in these careers; support providers in their ability to supervise and offer internships and work experiences; and establish a Technical Assistance Center to help students navigate the federal and state funding opportunities available to them.

Over twenty percent of Ohioans live with a mental health condition or substance use disorder, and nearly 2.4 million Ohioans live in communities that do not have enough behavioral health professionals. A?study?completed in 2021 by OhioMHAS, the Governor?s Office of Workforce Transformation, InnovateOhio, and Deloitte found that the demand for behavioral healthcare services in Ohio increased 353% from 2013-2019 while the workforce increased only 174% over the same time period.

?The lack of trained, qualified professionals is the number one concern we hear from mental health and addiction providers around Ohio,? said Director Criss. ?This problem is not unique to our state, but we have a unique opportunity to create pathways to recruit new talent into our rapidly growing field of healthcare. This investment will put additional doctors, nurses, counselors, therapists, social workers, and other critical personnel into our communities in the next one to two years and expand, enhance, and strengthen our ability to care for Ohioans living with mental health and substance use disorders.?

The Administration is working collaboratively across state agencies to achieve full approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for the expenditure of these home and community based care American Rescue Plan Act funds as well as with the General Assembly on the most effective way to make the federal funding quickly available. Additional details of the plan will be shared in the coming weeks. This initial $85 million investment is part of the $212 million available in the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Workforce Development Strategic Fund through the Ohio Department of Medicaid as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Earlier this year, the Administration shared plans to invest these dollars in provider relief, workforce, and technology and systems enhancements.

?Work experience and internships are often required for degree completion, but that experience is often unpaid, placing a heavy financial burden on students who are working hard to obtain a degree and possibly delaying their entrance into the workforce,? said Chancellor Gardner. ?By expanding available funding for paid internships, scholarships, and the costs of obtaining licensure or certification, we are helping them obtain their degrees more quickly and affordably. I greatly appreciate the willingness and commitment of Ohio?s colleges and universities to help more students enter the behavioral healthcare workforce successfully.?

This investment will also fund recruitment and retention bonuses for students who commit to employment with Ohio?s community mental health and addiction centers which provide care, treatment, and services to Ohio?s Medicaid-eligible population.

Once the proposal is finalized and approved and funding is appropriated, the program will be administered through the Ohio Department of Medicaid in partnership with the Ohio Department of Higher Education and the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

Also on Friday, Governor DeWine delivered remarks at the 2022 National Alliance on Mental Illness Ohio (NAMI Ohio) Annual Meeting.

In accordance with the orders issued by the President of the United States of America and in honoring Peace Officer Memorial Day and Police Week, Governor DeWine ordered on Friday?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 of Ohio until sunset on May 15, 2022.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Dan Tierney: 614-644-0957