Governor Voinovich's Selected Speeches   

1998 State of the State Address (10th February, 1998)
State Capitol Columbus, Ohio

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Speaker Davidson -- President Finan -- members of the 122nd Ohio General Assembly -- Lt. Governor Hollister, justices of the Supreme Court and elected state office holders -- distinguished guests and fellow Ohioans...

I stand before all of you today to offer the annual State of the State message for the eighth and final time as your Governor -- an occasion that will no doubt spark applause from both sides of the aisle!

Let me begin by acknowledging some very special people.

Last year, we lost a man whom many of us regard as Ohio's greatest legislator, Vern Riffe. Although he is no longer with us, the good work he did over a lifetime of service continues to benefit us all.

Later this year, another venerable Ohioan will soar into history one more time.

Senator John Glenn is truly a national treasure. A little part of each of us will be with him in October on his journey back into space. Godspeed, Senator Glenn.

We're sorry that Senators Glenn and DeWine could not join us today because of votes in the Senate. We are pleased that Senator DeWine's wife, Fran, is with us.

I also want to acknowledge once again the steadfast love of my wife, Janet, and the rest of my family and friends, as well as the loyalty and hard work of a superb Cabinet and staff. I honestly believe that our Cabinet and staff will be remembered as Ohio's best.

My thanks go to all who have served in the Ohio General Assembly since 1991 and who contributed to an era of unprecedented, bipartisan cooperation on the issues that mattered most.

We didn't always agree on everything, but we continue to share the same goal: a better Ohio. I'm especially appreciative to have served beside Speaker Jo Ann Davidson and President Dick Finan. Your leadership has truly made a positive difference for Ohio, and both of you are widely acknowledged as two of the finest legislative leaders in America.

I want to again thank Ohio's private sector, whose commitment to our public-private partnership has done so much to help steer the ship of state in the right direction. Our partnership is the envy of the nation.

We should also acknowledge our countless volunteer organizations, which are making such a difference in communities across the state.

And, most of all, I am grateful to my fellow Ohioans, who have supported so much of what we've accomplished.

All of us, together, have put Ohio back on the right track and moving forward once again.

You may recall my battle cry from eight years ago that we could do better, we could catch up, we could be a leader again. We have and we are.

Despite all that we have done, we still face a very busy agenda in 1998. We are winding up, not winding down!

Ohio is stronger today than it's been in anyone's memory and is well prepared for even greater days ahead. Ladies and gentlemen, that is the state of our state!

Together, we've held state spending to its lowest growth rate in 30 years -- restored the "rainy day" fund to a responsible $863 million -- and delivered a "good management bonus" to the people of Ohio in the form of income tax cuts in 1996 and 1997. Last year's tax cut was the second largest in the nation.

I came into office saying we were going to work harder and smarter and do more with less, and that's just what we've done!

As you know, my top management priority of our second term has been our nationally acclaimed Quality Services through Partnership program, which has trained nearly 49,000 state employees in "quality" and saved at least $66 million.

Two weeks ago, 1,300 government managers and union leaders met to reaffirm their support for this program into the 21st century. With their continued partnership, I'm confident that Ohio will have America's first high-performance state government workforce.

Together, we are transforming Ohio's welfare system from a "way of life" to a way to work. We are helping thousands of Ohio families break the chains of dependence and become taxpayers, rather than tax-takers.

We've cut the welfare rolls by more than half -- freed more than 500,000 people from the yoke of welfare -- and, in the process, saved taxpayers $1.8 billion. Today, Ohio is a respected national leader in welfare reform, because when other states and the federal government were talking about it, we were doing it in Ohio.

Together, we committed ourselves to corralling the Medicaid "Pacman," which was gobbling up ever larger portions of Ohio's budget and eating away at the state's ability to direct vital dollars to education and other priorities.

Through cost-containment and good management, we've cut the Medicaid growth rate in half. In fact, in 1997, we actually spent less on Medicaid than we did the year before -- the first time that happened in 25 years.

Since 1993, together, we have saved the taxpayers of Ohio $6.3 billion. You heard me right -- $6.3 billion. It's an amazing achievement.

Together, we committed ourselves to achieving our Ohio 2000/Ohio First vision of strengthening Ohio's place as a national leader and world-class competitor, both now and into the 21st century.

We focused on Ohio's strengths -- agribusiness, travel and tourism, science and technology, and international trade -- and we've made significant gains in each area.

With respect to travel and tourism, we've moved from 7th to 6th in the nation in terms of leisure visits, and Ohio's 1-800-BUCKEYE hotline is the most frequently called tourism number in America.

And, between 1991 and 1996, Ohio's export of manufactured goods increased an unprecedented 48 percent. Our final overseas business missions later this year will solidify Ohio's trading partnerships with Canada and major markets in South America.

In 1991, we recognized that Ohio was falling behind our competition, and we made a focused effort to strengthen our state's business climate.

Although there is more work to be done, we have made historic progress in reforming Ohio's workers' compensation system, which I once called the "silent killer of jobs."

One of our "quality" teams helped streamline the process for filing workers' compensation claims, and we have cut delays in the reporting of workers' injuries by 48 percent.

And, in three years' time, we've saved Ohio businesses $2.4 billion in rate reductions and dividend credits -- including $313 million in savings for our local governments. People sometimes forget that those savings translate into more money for police and fire protection, snow removal, and other basic services in towns and cities throughout Ohio.

Through our landmark series of "jobs bills," we've transformed Ohio's incentive package into one that states across the country are still scrambling to copy.

Today, all of these efforts are paying major dividends for the people of Ohio.

For the period of 1991 to '97, Ohio has led the nation in new business facilities and expansions. We're number one!

Ohio's unemployment rate is at a 25-year low and has stayed at or below the national average for 81 of the past 84 months.

And, by the last annual count, there were 413,000 more jobs in Ohio than there were in 1990.

We gave Ohio's economic engine a long-overdue tune-up. Today, it's hitting on every cylinder! And Wall Street took notice in 1996, when Ohio received its first bond rating increase in 17 years.

With respect to our environment, Ohio's air and water are the cleanest they've been in 25 years. Ohio is a national leader in voluntary efforts by business to prevent pollution and in acting to clean up polluted, urban brownfield sites. And just last year, our state park system was rated America's best.

But maybe the most inspiring sign of our healthy environment is the return of the bald eagle to Ohio's skies. Today, the number of eagles that nest in Ohio is the highest it's been in a half-century.

Just as our economy is soaring, so, too, is the bald eagle!

Together, we made a commitment to be a better partner to local law enforcement -- to enact tougher laws -- to build more prisons -- and to put more violent criminals behind bars.

Today, violent crime is down, the overall crime rate is down, and Ohio is a safer place to live, work, and raise a family.

Together, we also made an unprecedented commitment to improving the quality of life for older Ohioans. Nowhere is that commitment more evident than in our PASSPORT program.

There were about 2,700 older Ohioans in the program in 1991. This year, we'll assist over eight times that number -- all of them living at home, in the loving care of family, friends, or caregivers, instead of in nursing homes. That's something we can all feel very good about.

But of all the things we've accomplished, nothing makes me prouder than our work to address the highest priority of this administration. On March 5, 1991, in my first State of the State address, I said:

"Our aim is.to make an unprecedented commitment to one priority that I believe ranks above all others -- the health and education of our children.

"Most Ohioans have had enough welfare -- enough poverty -- enough drugs -- enough crime.

"Most would love to see that debilitating cycle broken, and the people trapped within it, freed -- once and for all...

"The only way to do it is to pick one generation of children -- draw a line in the sand -- and say to all: 'this is where it stops.'

"Today, we draw that line."

We drew that line together, and together, we have held our ground!

In our very first budget -- under a dark cloud of fiscal emergency -- we protected or expanded the crucial programs that serve Ohio's children and families.

Since then, we have expanded those programs by 47 percent. We should all be proud that a recent report by two respected foundations said that no other state has done more to fund early childhood services and reform its social services and education systems than Ohio.

Today, we are still standing strong behind that line in the sand, and it's on this subject that I want to devote most of my remarks.

To lead our children's efforts, we established our Family and Children First Initiative. Thanks to a governance structure we created to promote community decisions and parental input, Councils are now active today in all 88 counties.

Our shared commitment was to help all Ohio children get off to a healthy start in life so they could enter school ready to learn. Today, I report to you that our work is yielding real results.

Immunizations and adoptions are up. Infant mortality and teenage pregnancy rates are down.

Ladies and gentlemen, every unborn child whose mother practices proper health care and nutrition -- every immunized infant who gains the ability to ward off disease -- every disadvantaged youngster who gets a head start in learning -- is another life permanently changed for the better.

Our efforts are making a positive difference in the lives of thousands of Ohio children, and I've asked a few of them to join us today.

As of today, our Help Me Grow partnership, for which Janet serves as spokesperson, has put nearly a million wellness guides in the hands of expectant mothers and parents with small children. In 1998, it will distribute another 335,000 guides and answer 70,000 helpline telephone calls.

Please join me in welcoming Anna Gibbs, who is featured on the cover of this year's wellness guide, and her mother, Aloma.

As of today, some 6,000 infants and toddlers have benefited from the helping hand of our Early Start program. In 1998, we'll reach another 3,500 youngsters.

Please join me in welcoming seven-month old Benjamin Williams, from the Athens Early Start Program, and his mother, Michelle.

In 1991, children in medically fragile condition were often placed in institutional care, because parents had few viable alternatives.

Today, because we listened to their parents, more options are available -- and nearly 1,900 such Ohio children are now living at home with their moms and dads.

Please join me in welcoming Daniel Brown from Columbus, whose mother, Tracy, epitomizes what can be accomplished when parents become involved.

As of today, 60,000 children are participating in Head Start and public preschool. In 1998, Ohio will become the first state in the nation to fully fund Head Start, which means that every eligible child whose parents so desire can be enrolled.

When we announced this goal, they said it couldn't be done. But together, we did it! Please join me in welcoming Micah Garcia, of the Corner Head Start Center in Cincinnati, and his mother, Carmen.

As of today, over 9,800 children have found homes through public adoptions. What a difference the General Assembly has made in this area. In 1998, another 1,700 children await the telephone call that informs them their new family is coming to pick them up -- and you can meet all of these children on our new web page!

Please join me in welcoming David and Mathew McClarren, from Galion, who recently were united with their new father, Jeffrey.

As of today, Ohio's Adopt-a-School program has expanded to include 4,000 adoptive partnerships. On my first day on the job in 1991, our office adopted Douglas Elementary School in Columbus. Although we've changed partners, at least one bond that was formed back then still exists.

Beth Waldren of my staff began tutoring Jackie Huff, who was then a third grader. Today, seven years later, they're still together, with Beth serving as a mentor for Jackie, who is now in the 9th grade at Linden McKinley. Their bond demonstrates how valuable the Adopt-a-School program can be. Please say hello to Jackie Huff.

As of today, nearly 3,000 students are experiencing the benefits of educational diversity and choice through their participation in the Cleveland Scholarship Program. In 1998, another thousand children are expected to enroll.

Please join me in welcoming Nina Barrett, a third grader at HOPE Central Academy in Cleveland, whose parents credit her new school with Nina's steady academic improvement.

As of today, we have raised the bar of expectations in our ninth grade proficiency test, and yet more of our current ninth graders have passed all parts of that test than ever before. I'm proud that one of Ohio's low-wealth school districts is helping lead the way.

The Fort Recovery Local Schools in Mercer County have experienced a 100 percent passage rate of seniors on the test since its inception. Please join me in thanking Ed Snyder, the principal of Fort Recovery Middle and High School, for his leadership and commitment to education excellence.

As of today, more than 21,000 students in more than half of the state's 611 school districts are enrolled in our Jobs for Ohio's Graduates program -- one of our most effective tools for addressing the challenges faced by at-risk students. I'm proud that one more "JOG" success story could be with us today.

Jimmy Davis is convinced he would not have graduated from high school without the involvement of a caring mentor and the Jobs for Columbus Graduates program. Today, Jimmy is employed full-time and is enrolled at Columbus State. Welcome, Jimmy.

Today, 72 percent of our classrooms have been or are being wired for voice, video, and data. And virtually every district has been approved for teacher training and computers in our "K-through-4" classrooms.

Please join me in welcoming Nathan Osborne, a senior at Leipsic High School in Putnam County -- another low-wealth district -- who is using his SchoolNet experience to design web pages and CD-ROM applications for local businesses in his community.

The statistics tell an impressive story. But we can never forget that behind the statistics are the faces of our children who are Ohio's future. We are honored that all of you could be with us today.

One of the things we should all feel good about is the fact that we have empowered thousands of Ohioans to become involved, and we have made our families and children -- and their education -- a statewide priority.

I would be very remiss if I didn't say a few special words about one of those individuals -- a person who is one of our foremost advocates for Ohio's children and families. I am talking about Ohio's First Lady.

From her service with Help Me Grow to her leadership in expanding Adopt-a-School...from her promotion of breast cancer awareness among all Ohio women to her work in engaging older Ohioans in the education of our children...Janet Voinovich is a person who loves and cares very deeply for her fellow citizens.

I've always thought of Janet as God's greatest blessing on me. The truth is, she's also been a blessing on Ohio. With grace and vigor, she works tirelessly for our children and families, and I think it's appropriate to honor her service.

While we are proud of our efforts to date and touched by the strength of our children and families, challenges remain.

Clearly, much of what government strives to accomplish is directed toward those individuals and families most at risk. I believe it is also important for us to find ways to be of service to those who do not ordinarily ask anything of government.

A tremendous opportunity to do that exists in the area of birth-to-three. In fact, as Chairman of the National Governors' Association, I have made it my top priority. I have asked my fellow governors to focus on this issue in their own State of the State addresses, and many have.

I know that the National Conference of State Legislators, under the leadership of President Finan, is also focusing attention on this issue.

We're doing so because science is teaching us more and more about those crucial first three years of a child's life, when brain capacity grows more than at any other time. We know that an infant's experiences during those years will literally shape the brain's structure and learning capacity for a lifetime.

In the coming months, I would like to work with you -- within existing resources -- to enhance Ohio's birth-to-three agenda.

Our task now is to ensure that everyone holding the precious responsibility for our children's future -- Ohio's parents, caregivers, and teachers -- has access to the most current information that can help them in meeting this responsibility.

Newborn babies don't come with instruction manuals, but our award-winning Help Me Grow wellness guide and the nationally acclaimed "I Am Your Child" videotape are helpful tools.

Janet and I want to ensure that the parents of every newborn baby in Ohio leave the hospital with copies of each. And, thanks to a new partnership with The Ohio Hospital Association, this will happen. This partnership adds to the $2.2 million in corporate contributions already generated by Help Me Grow since its inception.

And I want to work with you to expand our Early Start program so that all of Ohio's first-time parents can have the option of receiving a special "welcome-home" visit by an early-childhood professional.

We must also focus attention on the quality of the learning experience small children receive, whether they are cared for at home by mom or dad -- by a neighborhood home provider -- or in a child care or Head Start center.

Last month, we teamed up with Ohio's public television stations in a first-ever partnership to provide training for home-based child care providers. As I said when Speaker Davidson and I unveiled the program, in terms of quality preschool programming, it doesn't get any better than Big Bird, Elmo, and Mr. Rogers!

In addition, I believe we can offer more opportunities for all child care providers to strengthen their child development skills.

And so, today, I propose that Ohio reach for another national benchmark. Just as we did with SchoolNet in 1994, let us in 1998 seize a new opportunity that technology now offers us.

For $50 a month per site, we can be the first state to implement a Help Me Grow Family Resource Network. This network will utilize satellite feeds and programming developed for the National Head Start Association and approved by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

By funding 1,500 sites, we can bring national early-childhood news, information, and programming, as well as Ohio-specific training, to our early childhood teachers in preschool classrooms and day care centers.

All of these efforts to help every Ohio child start school ready to learn remind us of our heavy responsibility to also make sure our schools are the best they can be.

Our vision is an Ohio where all children enter school ready to learn and eager to achieve -- where parents understand they are their child's first teacher -- where parents, teachers, and communities strive to bring out the best in every child -- and where learning is a lifelong adventure for every citizen.

Ladies and gentlemen, our vision is becoming a reality. Ohio, today, has a solid record of achievement in education, and it's a record all of us can celebrate.

First and foremost, we stood firm on our insistence that Ohio's schools needed to focus on producing results where results matter most -- in the classroom. We fought to keep proficiency testing mandatory, and test scores improved!

Thanks to State Superintendent John Goff and our State Board of Education, in 1998, for the first time, Ohio will produce "report cards" that reflect district and building level performance on a variety of key indicators.

I'd like to make a prediction. When we add this yardstick to the fiscal and academic accountability measures the General Assembly passed last year, I guarantee you that we will see the most significant improvement in classroom performance in Ohio history.

That's because, at long last, our customers -- the parents and taxpayers -- will know what they're getting for their investment.

In my State of the State address last year, I outlined special measures I felt we needed to take to improve performance in our urban districts. Twenty-five percent of our kids attend school in those districts, but only 42 percent of them graduate.

Recognizing that it is our moral responsibility to respond, we are moving forward on a number of initiatives I outlined last year -- teacher academies in our six largest urban districts, expanded all-day kindergarten, performance audits, discipline intervention grants, and an expansion of our highly successful Jobs for Ohio's Graduates program.

I was really glad to see that Education Week recently singled out Ohio's response to the challenges we face in our urban districts.

In addition, I'm proud we are moving forward with our Cleveland Scholarship Program and our charter school experiments. These programs merit our continued support. Parents want and deserve a choice in their children's education.

It's a little known fact that Ohio also leads the nation in support of our non-public schools, which continue to provide an outstanding education alternative for one out of every seven Ohio school children.

Ohio is also fast becoming recognized as America's teacher-development state. I was delighted, just two weeks ago, to honor 100 Ohio teachers who received their certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in 1997.

They represented one-third of all teachers certified in the United States, and, by the end of '98, we expect to have more teachers certified than any other state.

Beyond this worthwhile program, we have acted on many other fronts, including stronger teacher-education programs at our universities -- stricter teacher licensure -- mentoring and assessment -- peer review -- regional professional development centers -- and, of course, our current $25 million investment in teacher training for SchoolNet.

Clearly, we are building momentum in professional development for our teachers. In fact, the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future recently ranked Ohio fourth best in the country in this area.

Probably the most visible sign of our commitment to education improvement has been our shared willingness to address Ohio's long-standing need for school finance reform.

You'll notice that I talked about performance first and money last. But in no way do I wish to diminish our school funding success story since 1991, because it is nothing short of remarkable. Much has been accomplished since the school funding court case was filed seven years ago.

Between 1991 and '99, we have increased state support for school funding by 58 percent. That's well over twice the inflation rate. Those numbers include the increases in House Bill 650, which gives us, in 1999, the largest and most comprehensive one-year education budget in Ohio history.

Within those overall increases are some initiatives that are also unprecedented in state history.

Before 1991, there was no special allocation for our low-wealth school districts. Since then, we have directed nearly $600 million toward those schools.

Before 1991, there was no allocation for statewide classroom technology. Just since 1994, we have directed over $525 million into our SchoolNet and SchoolNet Plus programs to assure that every Ohio student -- from schools in our largest cities to the most remote valleys of Appalachia -- can steer onto the information superhighway.

In the 190 years prior to 1993, state government did little to fix, replace, or rebuild school buildings. Since then, we have committed $870 million to address school renovation needs in 269 school districts throughout Ohio.

But we must do even more.

First, I recommend we set aside $300 million in the upcoming capital bill for school facilities. And further, I recommend that, at the end of each fiscal year in the current biennium, if we have any surpluses, we use them to fix our schools. This will result in hundreds of millions more for classroom repair and construction.

These added dollars will enable us to meet our "fix-the-schools" agenda through the year 2000, and will continue to address the needs in our low-wealth and urban districts.

I want you to know with the dollars that have already been allocated, and the new money I just discussed, we will have committed over $1.5 billion to school construction and repairs since 1993.

Together, we have traveled an incredible distance since 1991. Across the education waterfront -- from performance to accountability, technology, professional development, and school funding -- we have acted responsibly and rewritten the history books.

Even though we are not finished, we have, in sports parlance, moved the ball a long way down the field, recognizing that the goal is continuous improvement.

Since last spring, an historic and monumental amount of time and effort have been devoted by our administration and this General Assembly to arrive at a school funding plan to take us beyond "thorough and efficient."

Rational allocation formulas have been constructed. And not once but twice we have come close to placing a funding plan on the ballot for Ohio voters to consider. I know many of you are still tired from the effort, and I especially thank your families for the sacrifices they made so you could participate.

That having been said, I still believe the time is now for Ohio citizens to discuss and vote on a plan to take our education system to a new and better level beyond "thorough and efficient." A majority of legislators in this hall have said they believe Ohio voters ought to have a chance to debate this issue and make a decision.

Let me say very strongly -- the governor agrees with you. Let's get it done and put it on the May ballot.

Our commitment to education improvement will help assure that our children are prepared for post-secondary study and the high-performance workplace of the 21st century. Understanding that education is our best economic development tool, we have worked equally hard to assure that Ohio's economy will produce and retain those jobs of tomorrow.

In that regard, we continue to rely on our higher education system. We are proud to welcome Rod Chu, our new Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents, and Dr. William Kirwan, the incoming President of The Ohio State University. Welcome, Rod and Britt.

I know that each of you shares our commitment of access to affordable, quality education and to accountability, and that you will work to secure higher education's place in the lifelong learning continuum.

There is no question that Ohio's higher education system is one of the best education values in the country. I congratulate our universities and the Board of Regents for the paradigm shift to putting customers first and joining the "harder-smarter, more-with-less" movement.

In concluding today, I want to hark back to the great flood of 1997 - one of the most devastating natural disasters in Ohio history.

When the rain finally stopped, five people had lost their lives -- 20,000 were driven from their homes -- 6,500 homes and 800 businesses were damaged or destroyed -- and 18 counties were declared federal disaster areas.

I want to commend Lt. Governor Hollister, the Emergency Management Agency, and other state agencies for their swift, sure response to this disaster. And I salute the local governments, private businesses, and thousands of volunteers who did so much to help the people and communities in those 18 counties.

As devastating as that flood was, it also reminded us of what it is to be an Ohioan. It reminded us of the strength -- the resilience -- and the willingness to help one's neighbor that surely enabled our earliest pioneers to survive in the wilderness that was Ohio. And it proved to us that those proud traits have worn well through the 195 years since statehood.

Just as the flood response reminded us of our heritage, so, too, has the progress we've made throughout this decade provided us with a glimpse of our future, particularly as it relates to our children and families. Through all we've accomplished during the last decade of the 20th century, we have begun to give shape to the Ohio we will pass on to the generations of the 21st century.

I'm reminded again of my two mottoes -- "Together, we can do it" -- and our state motto, "With God, all things are possible." Hopefully this year, we'll see that state motto, along with our state seal, inscribed at the entrance of our State House.

Our forefathers were truly visionary to include the sunrise in that seal. I'm confident that, with God's help and all of us working together, the sun will always shine brightly over this great state of ours -- "beautiful Ohio."

Thank you.