On Monday, Lt. Governor Jon Husted visited Youngstown State University to tour the Excellence Training Center (ETC) with YSU President Jim Tressel and to commend him for his contributions to the university and on his combined 50-year career in Ohio higher education. 

On Tuesday, Governor Mike DeWine announced that 72 local first responder agencies will receive a total of $28 million to help support wellness and staffing needs.

The grants represent the fifth round of the  Ohio First Responder Recruitment, Retention, and Resilience Program. To date, Governor DeWine has awarded $49 million to 219 Ohio agencies as part of this program, which aims to address burnout caused by understaffing and overall job stress.

“We’ve had a great deal of interest in this grant program, and it’s good to see that so many first responder agencies prioritize employee wellness,” said Governor DeWine. “These grants provide agency-specific support to help first responders remain on the job so that they can continue to keep Ohioans safe.”

Also on Tuesday, Governor DeWine signed the following bills into law:

• Senate Bill 56, sponsored by Senator Louis W. Blessing III, regulates the use of indemnity provisions in professional design contracts related to public improvements,  regulates uninsured motorist coverage relating to persons provided immunity under the Political Subdivision Sovereign Immunity Law, and provides a municipal corporation or county immunity from liability in any action arising from a hospital police officer acting in the discharge of duties in specified locations.
• Senate Bill 249, sponsored by Senator Steve Wilson, creates a regulatory sandbox program for novel financial products and services.
• Senate Bill 259, sponsored by Senator Frank Hoagland, adds a member of the Paralyzed Veterans of America organization to the Veterans Advisory Committee.

On Wednesday, Governor DeWine announced over $4 million in federal grants to reduce violence against women in Ohio.

Administered by the Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS), the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) program assists local governments and nonprofit community-based organizations in administering justice for and strengthening services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In total, 125 grants were awarded to 95 local agencies in 47 counties.

“Every year, these grants support agencies all across Ohio that focus on violence reduction strategies, programming, and initiatives that protect women in our state,” said Governor DeWine.

On Thursday, Governor DeWine, Lt. Governor Husted, and JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef announced that Abbott has selected a site in Bowling Green for a new manufacturing facility that will produce specialty and metabolic powder nutritional products.

Abbott will invest $536 million into the new facility and create 450 permanent new jobs in the northwest Ohio region.

“Abbott’s history in formula production goes all the way back to Columbus in the early 1900s, and we’re glad Abbott is advancing its future here in Ohio as they bring a cutting-edge facility to Bowling Green that will support job growth and improve the supply chain for critical formula products nationwide,” said Governor DeWine. “The addition of this new facility will help to ensure that life-sustaining formulas are available and accessible when needed.” 

Abbott is a multinational healthcare company whose technologies and products span diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals, and branded generic medicines. This project will expand the U.S. supply of essential formulas, some of which serve as the sole source of nutrition for people with extreme allergies to most food products and other dietary and metabolic conditions.

“Abbott’s decision to expand its footprint in Ohio reinforces this state’s ongoing development of products that can boost and sustain the health and safety of Americans,” said Lt. Governor Husted. “Abbott had many other states courting them for this investment, and it’s rewarding to see them choose Ohio as the best place to do business.”

Also on Thursday, Governor DeWine signed Executive Order 2022-15D to allow for the adoption of rules to provide retention payments to benefit direct support professionals serving the developmental disability community.

On Friday, Governor DeWine announced that the state will award nearly $4.9 million to local law enforcement agencies across Ohio to help cover costs associated with body camera programs. 

A total of 112 law enforcement agencies will receive grant funding as part of the Ohio Body-Worn Camera Grant Program. Of those agencies, 44 will use funding to create new body-worn camera programs and 68 agencies will dedicate funding toward expanding or upgrading existing technology. 

"Body cameras are an essential tool for policing, and the funds we're awarding on Dec 16th, will help agencies purchase around 1,660 new body cameras and associated technology," said Governor DeWine. "Body cameras are important not only for providing transparency to the public but also for adding an extra layer of protection for our officers."

Also on Friday, Governor DeWine also signed Executive Order 2022-16D, the Emergency Amendment of Rule 4123-6-08 of the Ohio Administrative Code by the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation.

Lastly, on Friday, Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor Husted announced $88 million in state support for 123 brownfield remediation projects that will help clean up hazardous and underused sites throughout the state.

The Ohio Department of Development is funding the awards through the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program, which is designed to clean up and prepare hazardous brownfield sites for redevelopment. The projects will impact communities in 35 counties across the state.

“Our goal is to create opportunities and make a positive difference in the lives of Ohioans,” said Governor DeWine. “Removing these eyesores and cleaning up blighted properties will help make way for new and exciting opportunities in our state.”

The $88 million grant announcement includes about $79.3 million for cleanup/remediation projects and $8.8 million for 51 assessment projects. These grants are in addition to the $60 million in Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program grants awarded in April and $192 million awarded in June. In total, the DeWine-Husted Administration has invested nearly $350 million in funding through the program to support 313 projects in 83 counties.

“Not only are we removing hazardous materials and blight through this program, but we’re removing barriers to future development,” said Lt. Governor Husted. “Communities are one step closer to building great development sites in their regions.”