Associated Press

Ohio’s governor is pledging a new round of tax cuts. Gov. John Kasich says he wants to cut Ohioans’ personal income taxes and the taxes paid by small businesses.

Kasich announced the proposal Monday during his annual State of the State speech held this year in Medina.

The $62 billion, two-year state budget Kasich signed in June cut Ohio’s income tax rates by 8.5 percent in 2013, another half percent in 2014 and another 1 percent in 2015. These were Ohio’s first downward revisions since 2009.

Kasich says tax cuts are key to fueling the state’s economic recovery and to keep people from leaving Ohio.

Kasich has proposed using $10 million in state casino revenue to pay for an effort to bring together parents, communities, religious groups, businesses and others to support children’s education.

Kasich says teachers often tell him that parents need to be more involved in their children’s education and communities need to do more to support their schools.

Kasich says he agrees and announced the creation of his “Community Connectors” initiative Monday in his State of the State speech.

The governor said he will ask lawmakers to provide $10 million in casino licensing fees to support the effort and that the state will give communities $3 for every $1 they pitch in.

Kasich has announced a plan to tie higher education funding to course completion and graduation rates at the state’s publicly funded colleges and universities.

Kasich says the plan puts the right incentives in place for students and colleges to work together to achieve the goals of success and a job after graduation.

Kasich called the plan a big step forward as he announced it during his State of the State speech Monday.

Under details of the plan first announced last year, universities won’t receive a portion of their per-pupil funding until the student has graduated.

It moves incentives away from enrollment and toward finishing a degree.

Kasich also announced a plan to give free academic credits to veterans for the training and experience they received during military service.

Kasich says the training veterans received from the Armed Forces has prepared them for many of Ohio’s most in-demand jobs.

Kasich said veterans deserve thanks for the sacrifices they’ve made as they re-enter civilian life.
Kasich says those who have driven a truck from Kabul to Kandahar have earned the right to drive a truck from Cleveland to Columbus.

Kasich announced a new plan to fight smoking in the state.

Kasich says Ohio was once a national leader in reducing the number of people who smoke and needs to take the cause up again.

Kasich announced in his State of the State speech Monday he is dedicating new tobacco settlement dollars in the fight against the addiction of smoking.

He says the fight will help drive down medical costs and improve Ohioans’ health.

Kasich’s proposal didn’t include dollar amounts or details on the plan.

Kasich has presented his annual courage awards to three women who survived their decade-long imprisonment in a Cleveland house.

Kasich said the women’s story is one of inner strength and a courage that brought them through and sustained them during the ordeal.

Kasich presented the award Monday during his State of the State speech to Amanda Berry, Gina de Jesus and Michelle Knight.

The three were rescued in May after being kidnapped from the streets of Cleveland between 2002 and 2004 at the ages of 14, 16 and 20.

Convicted kidnapper Ariel Castro hanged himself in prison in September at the beginning of a life sentence plus 1,000 years after he pleaded guilty to hundreds of charges the previous month.