1,064,306 cases in Ohio; 440,638 in Kentucky; 714,786 in Indiana

YESTERDAY AS WE ALL KNOW A JURY IN MINNEAPOLIS CONVICTED DEREK CHAUVIN OF SECOND AND THIRD DEGREE MURDER. SECOND DEGREE MANSLAUGHTER IN THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD OUR SYSTEM OF JUSTICE WORKED THE JURY MEMBERS LISTENED TO THE EVIDENCE. DID THEIR DUTY? CAME BACK WITH A VERDICT. AS WE GO FORWARD AS A NATION. THERE IS A LOT FOR US TO LEARN FROM THIS GREAT TRAGEDY. GEORGE FLOYD’S DEATH LAID BEAR SOME OF OUR DEEPEST DIVISIONS IN OUR COUNTRY OUR GOAL MY GOAL ALL OF OUR GOAL SHOULD BE TO WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY TO BRING US TOGETHER AS A PEOPLE. TO BRING US TOGETHER AS A COUNTRY. WANT TO TALK NOW ABOUT POLICE REFORM IN OH THERE HAVE BEEN SOME THINGS THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO BY EXECUTIVE ACTION. ON JUNE 17TH OF LAST YEAR, I ORDERED EVERY CABINET AGENCY. TO REVIEW THE USE OF FORCE POLICIES AND ALSO TO BAN THE USE OF CHOKEHOLDS. THAT HAS BEEN DONE. SO EVERY DEPARTMENT UNDER MY DIRECT JURISDICTION HIGHWAY PATROL, OHIO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND OTHERS HAVE NOW BANNED THE USE OF CHOKEHOLDS. LAST SUMMER I ORDERED THE HIGHWAY PATROL. TO START THE ACTION TO OBTAIN BODY CAMERAS FOR EVERYONE FOR SOME TIME THEY HAVE HAD DASH CAMERAS. BUT I FELT IT WAS APPROPRIATE NOW FOR THEM. TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE AND TO HAVE THE BODY CAMERAS THE PURCHASING OF THESE BODY CAMERAS HAS BEGUN. AND WE WOULD ANTICIPATE WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME THE MEMBERS OF THE HIGHWAY PATROL WILL ALWAYS HAVE ON THE BODY CAMERAS NEXT WE ESTABLISHED THE OFFICE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT RECRUITING. WHAT’S IN THE OFFICE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE? SERVICES AGAIN TO HELP LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THIS AREA NEXT I ORDERED THE OHIO COMMUNITY POLICE COLLABORATIVE TO DEVELOP A STANDARD FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSES TO MASS PROTESTS. I’M HAPPY TO SAY THAT THEY HAVE NOW ADOPTED A UNIFORM STANDARD. LET ME TALK FOR A MOMENT ABOUT SEVERAL BUDGET INITIATIVES THAT ARE NOW IN FRONT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. SEVERAL THINGS THAT ARE PERTINENT WERE CONTAINED IN OUR BUDGET. WE HAD 10 MILLION DOLLARS. WE PROVIDED FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT BODY CAMERAS. FOR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AROUND THE STATE OF OHIO IN ADDITION TO THAT WE PROVIDE IN OUR BUDGET A MILLION DOLLARS IN GRANT FUNDING TO SUPPORT LOCAL POLICE AGENCIES AND THEY’RE INNOVATIVE INITIATIVES TO RECRUIT WOMEN AND MINORITIES. THESE ARE TWO THINGS THAT ARE IN CONTAINING OUR BUDGET. LET ME NOW TURN TO LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS. I TALKED THIS MORNING WITH STATE REPRESENTATIVE PHIL PLUMMER. PHIL IS A FORMER SHERIFF OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY. HE’S BEEN WORKING ON A LAW ENFORCEMENT REFORM PACKAGE. WE HAVE WORKED WITH HIM ON THIS. I’M HAPPY TO SAY THAT HE ADVISES ME THAT THIS BILL WILL NOW BE READY TO BE INTRODUCED WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THIS BILL WILL INCREASE ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. IT WAS DEVELOPED WITH THE HEALTH OF THE OHIO ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE. A VETERAN LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING THE OHIO ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE IN THE BUCKEYE STATE SHERIFFS ASSOCIATION AS WELL AS CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS. THIS BILL WILL DO A NUMBER OF THINGS. LET ME JUST MENTION SEVERAL. WILL ESTABLISH A POLICE A PEACE OFFICER OVERSIGHT BOARD? IT IS TIME THAT IN OHIO. WE BEGIN TO TREAT LAW ENFORCEMENT AS THE PROFESSIONALS THAT THEY ARE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IT MEANS THAT IN OTHER PROFESSIONS. IF YOUR YOUR NURSE YOUR LAWYER. WE COULD GO ON AND ON. YOUR STATE KNOWLEDGE STATE REGULATIONS. THERE’S A STATE BOARD. THERE’S A STATE DISCIPLINARY BOARD. A STATE BOARD THAT HAS THE ABILITY TO PULL A LICENSE TO SUSPEND A LICENSE. IT’S TIME WE DO THAT IN THE AREA OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGAIN, IT IS A PROFESSION WE SHOULD TREAT IT AS SUCH. NEXT THE BILL ALSO ESTABLISHES A USE OF FORCE DATABASE. A STATEWIDE USE OF FORCE DATABASE SO THAT THE ALMOST 1,000 LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN THE STATE OF OHIO WOULD REPORT USE OF FORCE AND THAT WOULD BE CONTAINED IN ONE CENTRAL LOCATION WHENEVER THE USE OF FORCE WAS USED. NEXT IT WOULD ESTABLISH AN OFFICER DISCIPLINE DATABASE AND AGAIN THIS GOES BACK. TO TREATING LAW ENFORCEMENT AS THE PROFESSION THAT IT IS SO SITUATION WE HAVE NOW IS SOMEONE CAN GO FROM ONE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO ANOTHER AND IF THEY LEFT UNDER BAD TERMS AND AT OFFICER DOESN’T EVEN REPORT THAT HE WORKED AT THE OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND IT’S CLEAR ACROSS THE STATE ONE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY MAY HAVE NO IDEA THAT HE HAD BEEN WORKED FOR ANOTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AGAIN AN OFFICER DISCIPLINE DATABASE. FOURTH REQUIRE AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION OF OFFICER INVOLVED CRITICAL INCIDENTS. AGAIN OUTSIDE FOR OUTSIDE IMPARTIAL COMING IN. I THINK WE’LL GIVE PEOPLE MORE CONFIDENCE IN IN THE END RESULTS. I THINK THERE’S ALSO A GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT WE NEED MORE POLICE TRAINING. I’VE NEVER MET A POLICE OFFICER WHO DID NOT THINK THAT MORE TRAINING WAS WAS GOOD. WE NEED AN INDEPENDENT SUSTAINABLE FUNDING SOURCE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING IN, OHIO. LAST MONTH AS PART OF THE NEED TO ADDRESS LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING IN THE STATE I ASKED. JUSTICE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES TO SEND A SURVEY TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ALL THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF OHIO. AND WE ASK THEM TO IDENTIFY TRAINING NEEDS AND THE TYPE OF TRAINING THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE CONDUCTED IN THE LAST YEAR ASPIRATIONALLY WHAT THEY WANT. BUT ALSO WHAT HAVE THEY DONE THE SURVEYS BACK ON THE 30TH THIS MONTH THE INFORMATION FROM THIS SURVEY IS GOING TO BE USED TO ASSIST IN STUDYING THE POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPING AT LONG TERM FUNDING SOLUTION FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING IN OHIO. I KNOW TALKING WITH PHIL PLUMBER THIS MORNING, I’M NOT LOOKED AT THE LANGUAGE, BUT HE TELLS ME THAT THERE’S THERE’S LANGUAGE AND MONEY. AND THE BILL THAT HE HAS INTRODUCED IN REGARD TO LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING ONCE WE HAVE ESTABLISHED INDEPENDENT FUNDING SOURCE, WE NEED TO MANDATE MINIMUM CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION TRAINING HOURS JUST AS WE DO IN OTHER IN OTHER PROFESSIONS, CERTAINLY THAT SHOULD ALWAYS INCLUDE DE-ESCALATION AND USE OF FORCE TRAINING. FRAN I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY THIS MORNING TO VISIT PRIMARY ONE HEALTH VACCINATION SITE. IT’S STATE STATE STEVENS COMMUNITY HOUSE IN COLUMBUS. WE JUST I JUST SAY IT STAYED SAINT STEPHEN’S THEY DO SOME AMAZING WORK HELPING EVERYONE FROM YOUNG YOUNG CHILDREN ALL THE WAY UP TO SENIOR CITIZENS AND THEY’VE DONE THAT FOR OVER 100 YEARS PRIMARY ONE HEALTH COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER OPERATES A NUMBER OF CLINICS AROUND CITY AND THEY GO GIVING VACCINATIONS IN FROM ONE CLINIC TO ANOTHER PRIMARY ONE HEALTH LIKE OTHER HEALTH CENTERS AND PROVIDERS ARE RECEIVING STATE VACCINE ALLOCATIONS EVERY WEEK. LET ME COMMEND PRIMARY ONE THEIR TEAM. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET FOR AND I DID SEVERAL A NUMBER OF THEIR MEMBERS OF THEIR TEAM TODAY AND OTHERS LIKE THEM ARE WORKING HARD TO ENSURE THEIR EFFORTS ARE FOCUSED ON DELIVERING VACCINE EVERYONE AND CERTAINLY INCLUDING ENTITIES OF COLOR FRAN I TALKED TO ONE MAN. I JUST IT’S ALWAYS INTERESTING WHAT YOU FIND AND WHAT YOU HEAR WHEN YOU TALK TO PEOPLE AND ASK THEM. WHY ARE YOU GETTING VACCINATED? I ALWAYS SAY, YOU KNOW, DID YOU HAVE A HESITANCY BY GETTING VACCINATED AND THERE’S ALWAYS A STORY ABOUT YOU KNOW, HOW THEY GOT THERE AND WHY THEY ARE THERE AND ONE MAN TOLD US. HE SAID I’VE GOT 86 YEAR OLD MOTHER AND SHE’S ALREADY RECEIVED HER VACCINE AND I TAKE CARE OF HER. I WANT TO MAKE SURE SHE’S AROUND FOR A LONG TIME AND I FELT I NEEDED TO GET THE VACCINE SO EVERYONE’S GOT A STORY AND SO MANY PEOPLE ARE GETTING THE VACCINE AND GETTING THAT. IT FOR OTHERS. LIKE IT’S SAINT STEPHEN’S IS JUST A GREAT EXAMPLE. I THINK OF EFFORTS ACROSS, OHIO. TO ENSURE THAT ALL OHIOANS ALL OHIOANS HAVE ACCESS TO THIS VERY PRECIOUS AND LIFE-SAVING VACCINE. APRIL IS MINORITY HEALTH MONTH. EVERY DAY OUR TEAM IS FOCUSED IN OUR LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT PARTNERS AND NON-PROFITS THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND SO MANY OTHERS ARE FOCUSING ON MAKING SURE VACCINES. ARE DELIVERED FAIRLY? TO MINORITY COMMUNITIES UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES WE STILL HAVE MUCH TO DO TO MAKE SURE ALL OHIOANS ARE REACHED AND IT’S CONVENIENT AND EASY FOR EVERY OHIO ONE TO GET IT, BUT I JUST WANT TO AGAIN COMMEND THE WORK THAT PRIMARY ONE IS DOING AND OTHER HEALTH CLINICS LIKE THEM ACROSS THE STATE. TOMORROW IS EARTH DAY. IT’S ALSO OUR GRANDSON GRADY’S BIRTHDAY. WE PLAN ON FRIEND. I’VE JUST FOR TALKING ON THE PHONE A MINUTE AGO. I PLAN ON PLANTING GRADY OILS PLANTS A TREE AND WELL DECIDING WHAT KIND OF TREE AND TALK WITH GRADY TONIGHT ABOUT WHAT KIND OF TREE WILL WILL PLANT TOMORROW. SO PLANETARY AND HONOR OF A GRADY AND HONOR OF EARTH DAY. IT REALLY EARTH DAY IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE WHAT EACH ONE OF US CAN DO TO PROTECT THE EARTH PROTECT OUR PLANET ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO IS HELP CLEAN UP LITTER…