COLUMBUS, Ohio—Mike DeWine has held political office for the better part of five decades, from county prosecutor to state lawmaker, congressman, lieutenant governor, U.S. senator, state attorney general, and – now – governor of Ohio.
For DeWine, that’s less about being a firebrand on hot-button political issues and more about addressing longer-term quality-of-life issues: revamping the state’s mental-health system, helping to offer health-care services and early-childhood education to Ohio children, and expanding job-training initiatives.
DeWine has spoken repeatedly about the need to complete President John F. Kennedy’s plan to stop institutionalizing people with mental-health issues and provide community care to them instead. While Kennedy signed legislation to release thousands of people from psychiatric hospitals, DeWine said, the second half of the plan – creating and funding local mental-health services – was never executed. The governor said his plan would help to remedy that in Ohio.
Speaking with reporters last month at the Ohio Governor’s Residence in suburban Columbus, DeWine said his administration would focus on improving education in Ohio – from early-childhood education to job-training programs.
Run Ohio into the ground and look like Florida. Sad.