Gov. DeWine should acknowledge reality in his final State of the State

At noon today, Gov. Mike DeWine will deliver his final State of the State address as Ohio’s 70th governor. Ahead of that address, Policy Matters Ohio Executive Director Hannah Halbert issued the following statement:

“As Gov. DeWine approaches the end of his term, we expect an address centered on his legacy, especially as it relates to children and education. Ohioans should judge this speech on whether it moves beyond legacy and confronts the reality of simple math: Without dependable revenue and sustained commitments to child care and public schools, progress won’t last and good ideas won’t scale.

“We expect a victory lap on literacy and early‑reading initiatives, and mentions of excellent programs like Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and our public libraries, some of the best in the country. But by supporting year after year of tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthiest, Gov. DeWine has hamstrung his own efforts to make Ohio the best state in which to raise a family.

“In 2025, the governor signed a budget that abandoned years of work toward fair funding for the public schools that serve more than 80% of Ohio students, even as it dramatically increased spending on private school vouchers. With public schools underfunded by $2.75 billion, the state spends $2.4 billion on tuition assistance for private schools — assistance now used by more than 80% of private school families.

“The governor took some steps to improve child care affordability — making the Child Care Choice voucher available to families with income up to 200% of the federal poverty level and attempting to raise income eligibility limits for child care. But the state collects too little in revenue for those changes to make a lasting impact: The CCC voucher is too little to bridge that affordability gap, and Publicly Funded Child Care eligibility is still among the lowest in the nation. While other states are making bold strides, investing state dollars, passing free child care for child care workers legislation, and helping more families, Ohio is staring at an estimated $600 million child‑care funding cliff next budget cycle and expecting additional cuts to services.

“The end of a governor’s term is a natural time to ask whether Ohioans are better off than they were eight years ago. To be sure there have been some bright spots: Gov. DeWine has advocated for policy solutions to Ohio’s child care crisis and was a strong defender of child care providers when he spoke out about the integrity of Ohio’s safeguards and transparency in the child care system. He also recently vetoed a bill that would have eroded child labor protections.

“Gov. DeWine will likely highlight these efforts. But for real, lasting progress Ohio needs the revenue and the resolve to finish the job. The governor should use his final State of the State to make a strong case for progressive tax policy that supports a state budget that will work for all Ohioans.”