The State of Ohio is a weekly news program spotlighting the latest happenings at the Statehouse, in the Governor’s office, at the Ohio Supreme Court and throughout the Buckeye State. Award-winning host Karen Kasler presents viewers with unique analysis and thoughtful perspective on important issues of statewide interest through interviews with political leaders, newsmakers, experts and Ohio citizens. The State of Ohio is the only TV show to bring to Ohioans the latest news about taxes, voting, education and other critical matters from where it all happens -- Capitol Square.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Topics: Economy, Politics
Short URL  Share Leave a Comment

The race to replace U.S. Senator George Voinovich is getting more crowded. Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher has filed paperwork for an exploratory committee for the Senate seat being vacated by Voinovich, who has announced he will not seek re-election. And there’s now a name in the ring for the Republicans for next year’s governor’s race. State Senator Kevin Coughlin of Cuyahoga Falls announced his candidacy on his website. President Barack Obama says the final version of his economic stimulus legislation will provide relief to Ohio even though congressional leaders have moved to cut aid to states. So now everyone from the governor on down waits to see how much Ohio will actually take away from this stimulus package.

Strickland has been very confident about his decision to shower a huge sum of new money on education. And the governor’s budget also includes a big change in the way kids are taught and learn. And Strickland also hopes to fix problems that have plagued school districts for years by eliminating so-called “phantom revenue” and making school funding easier to explain and understand. Strickland’s education policy adviser John Stanford explains some of the most talked-about points of the governor's plan.

The governor promised his education reform proposal would be controversial, but that people who tried to second guess him on what his proposal would include would be surprised. People in the education community have been going over his proposal since he unveiled it in his State of the State speech last month, and three share their thoughts. Bill Leibensperger is the vice president of the Ohio Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union. Rob Delane is the deputy executive director of the Ohio School Boards Association, which represents nearly every school board in Ohio. And Catherine West is the Director of Governmental Relations and Advocacy for the Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools. More than 80-thousand Ohio kids attend some 330 charter schools.

We close this week with highlights from the 200th birthday celebration for President Abraham Lincoln held this week in the Statehouse Rotunda.

Leave a Comment

Please note that all comments must adhere to ideastream's discussion rules and terms of use. Name:

Email:

Comment:

Please enter the word you see in the image below:

Send questions and comments to kkasler@statehousenews.org.