COLUMBUS, Ohio (WLIO) — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will deliver his final State of the State address Tuesday as he enters the final year of his term.
DeWine is term-limited and will leave office at the end of the year. During the address, he could urge Ohio lawmakers to continue several programs he helped launch during his tenure as governor.
One program that could receive attention is H2Ohio, which saw a significant funding reduction in the most recent state budget. Media reports indicate DeWine may ask the General Assembly to place a bond issue on the ballot to help fund the initiative, which aims to reduce agricultural runoff that contributes to toxic algal blooms in lakes and rivers.
The program also supports wetland restoration projects, including one completed in Allen County, and helps fund sewer and water infrastructure improvements.
DeWine could also call on lawmakers to end the death penalty in Ohio. The state has not carried out an execution in nearly a decade.
Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers in the Ohio House may attempt to overturn one of DeWine’s vetoes from the last state budget involving tax breaks for data center construction.
Ohio has offered sales tax exemptions for construction materials used to build data centers for years. Lawmakers removed those provisions in last summer’s budget, but DeWine vetoed the change.
House Speaker Matt Huffman will need 60 votes to override the veto. The measure would also need approval in the Republican-controlled Senate before the override could take effect.
