Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine gives the State of the State address in the Ohio House chambers at the Ohio Statehouse on Wednesday in Columbus. (Samantha Madar/The Columbus Dispatch via AP, Pool)

The Mahoning Valley’s state legislative delegation liked Gov. Mike DeWine’s focus on Ohio’s economy, workforce and children in his State of the State address Wednesday but expressed disappointment that he didn’t talk about property tax reform.

“I’m pleased he focused on workforce development and education,” said state Sen. Al Cutrona, R-Canfield. “I was expecting to hear about property taxes and he never mentioned it. Short of that, he hit a lot of key points.”

State Rep. David Thomas, R-Jefferson, whose district includes parts of Trumbull County, said: “I loved how he started with the emphasis on how Ohio is growing economically, his emphasis on mental health centers and focus on career and technical schools. I was not the biggest fan of all the spending he’s requesting. It’s not a surprise. The speech was a mixed bag, but economic growth was a highlight.”

Thomas said he was “disappointed the governor didn’t mention property tax reform. It’s the priority of the Legislature so we’ll be taking strong action.”

Thomas also said DeWine’s proposals to increase taxes on sports betting, cigarettes and adult recreational marijuana — including taking revenue away from local communities that have dispensaries located there — are all nonstarters in the state House.

State Rep. Tex Fischer, R-Boardman, also said DeWine’s tax increase proposals will go nowhere in the Ohio House.

“I’m very much opposed to the tax increases in his proposal,” Fischer said.

Fischer said he isn’t looking to change any of the existing adult recreational marijuana laws or funding.

Fischer said DeWine, a fellow Republican, is letting the state Legislature lead on property tax reform so he understands why the governor didn’t address it in Wednesday’s speech.

But Fischer said it is a huge topic of discussion among Ohioans so he can see why it was disappointing that DeWine said nothing about it.

Overall, Fischer said, “It was a positive and uplifting speech,” and “a dose of positivity” with DeWine “trying to sell his budget proposal.”

Cutrona said while the state House is finishing up the budget process, the Senate has yet to move forward with it.

DeWine delivered his annual State of the State address Wednesday in front of a joint session of the state House and Senate.

“The state of our state is strong,” DeWine said during the 70-minute speech. “Ohio is strong. Together we’ve accomplished so much in the last six years. We’ve hit the highest number of jobs in our state’s history.”

He added: “Workforce remains both our great opportunity and our most significant challenge.”

DeWine said companies are coming to Ohio “because of our exceedingly business-friendly regulatory environment.”

That includes eliminating 930 state regulations with DeWine’s proposed budget cutting another 3,200 rules.

State Rep. Nick Santucci, R-Niles, said he was pleased to hear DeWine’s “strong focus on workforce development” as “Ohio’s economic success depends on expanding opportunities for all individuals.”

Santucci also liked DeWine’s “emphasis on manufacturing investment” as it “is critical to our state and will directly benefit the Lake-to-River region.”

But Santucci said, “I would have liked to hear more about the governor’s vision for economic development, blight removal and revitalization of our neighborhoods. These issues are key to strengthening our communities and making Ohio an even better place to live and work.”

State Rep. Lauren McNally, D-Youngstown, said, “DeWine knows what Ohioans need, even if he doesn’t always get us all the way there with his version of the budget.”

She added: “I was happy to hear his continued focus on kids and families, and I look forward to working with him on those initiatives.”

State Sen. Sandra O’Brien, R-Lenox, whose district includes all of Trumbull County, said she was pleased to hear DeWine focus on workforce development, including efforts to help some who were previously incarcerated in prison gain employment and to make it easier for senior citizens who want to work again.

DeWine again called for a ban on cellphones in all Ohio schools. He requested it last year with the state Legislature instead passing a law requiring school districts to implement policies addressing the use of cellphones in schools. Those banning cellphones have seen significant improvements, DeWine said.

O’Brien, a former school teacher, said she agrees that schools shouldn’t permit cellphones with some limited exceptions. But she disagrees with DeWine’s call for a ban.

“I’m in favor of local control,” O’Brien said. “Keep it the way it is.”

Cutrona backs DeWine’s ban with some flexibility.

“Having a universal playing field is not a bad idea,” he said. “You can allow for some local control. It’s important to give some flexibility, but the overarching policy is to keep them out of the classroom.”

Cutrona said he also supports DeWine’s proposal to create the OhioSEE vision program that will ensure that not only do Ohio students in K-3 get vision screenings, but also follow-up comprehensive eye exams or glass if needed. DeWine expects 33,000 children will benefit from the proposal over the next two years.

DeWine had proposed a similar program in last year’s State of the State address.

VALLEY RECOGNITION

During Wednesday’s speech, DeWine, as he did last year, specifically mentioned the work being done by Sight for All United, a Struthers-based nonprofit organization, and said OhioSEE is “modeled, in part, after the amazing work of” the agency.

He mentioned Sight for United was “instrumental” in helping Jaxson James, a second -grader at Jefferson Elementary School in Warren, “see better and ultimately read better too.”

Jaxson attended the State of the State address.

DeWine said Jaxson was “severely far-sighted and had a drifting eye. His vision problems were causing him to slip far behind his peers in reading.”

But after getting eye surgery thanks to the assistance of Sight for All United, he “now thrives in reading and was recently recognized at school, not just for reaching his reading goal, but for surpassing it.”

DeWine also said more than 40 schools, including Austintown Elementary School, will be honored soon through the Governor’s Science of Reading Recognition Program.

“This program honors schools that are totally aligned with the science of reading, where teachers have fully embraced the training and where students’ reading scores are improving,” DeWine said.

Attending the address were Austintown Local Schools Superintendent Timothy Kelty and Catherine Dorbish, the elementary school’s principal, who were recognized by DeWine.

DeWine said the Austintown school’s “focus on literacy achievement is making a real difference for their students. In two years, they more than doubled the number of kindergarten students who are on track with reading, and the district’s third-grade reading proficiency rate is now at nearly 84%, which is 12 percentage points higher than their prepandemic levels.”

McNally said, “I’m proud of the Austintown schools for their commitment to science of reading, and I think the governor is genuinely trying to set Ohioans up for quality steady work in areas like career tech.”

“I am so proud of all my teachers at AES because they have worked so hard to build their knowledge base of the Science of Reading,” Dorbish said in a news release following DeWine’s speech. “Daily they implement strategies they learned and use their data to make instructional decisions for their students. We are growing a strong community of readers and learners in Austintown.”

To be eligible for this award, at least 90% of the school’s classroom teachers and special education teachers in the school must have completed a professional development training in the science of reading. All Austintown Elementary School teachers and administrators completed a four-year professional development study of Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling between Science of Reading as well as ongoing book study of Explicit Instruction, according to the Austintown news release.