Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine visited Mt. Healthy's Early Learning Center Thursday. It's part of his push to get all schools to teach the "Science of Reading" literacy approach.
"We know now that this really does work. It makes a huge, huge difference," he says. "Reading is just the key. It's the key to success in school; it's the key to success in life."
DeWine praised Mt. Healthy for using the Science of Reading program for several years.
LISTEN: Gov. Mike DeWine explains his support for 'The Science of Reading'
"We want every school, frankly, to do what we're seeing here at Mt. Healthy. If every school were doing this, we would be a long, long ways towards achieving our goals in regard to reading. When we've got about a third of our kids in third grade, fourth grade, who are not reading at the level they should be reading, that should be a concern to not just the parents, not just the schools, it should be a concern to every Ohioan."
He also had a message for Ohio colleges that have been putting off teaching the concept to education majors.
"Our colleges in Ohio have to make that change, and they need to make that change very, very quickly. Some people say 'Well, we've got a few years to do this.' Anybody who's had children, anybody who's been around children knows how quick they grow up. These kids have one chance to grow up — one chance — and if we don't get them, and if they don't get what we know works, shame on us."
On state lawmakers overriding his vetoes
DeWine also expressed dismay with state legislators who this week voted to override his veto of a state law banning gender-affirming care for minors.
"For the state to come in and say we know more (than parents); government knows more, or Columbus knows more in this area, it just, to me, was the wrong way to go."
While DeWine expected the first veto, he said he was more surprised Senate Republicans voted 24-8 to override his line-item veto in the two-year budget in July of a provision that banned municipalities from banning sales of flavored tobacco.
RELATED: Ohio Senate overrides second veto, this time a ban on local bans of flavored tobacco sales
"(Wednesday's) vote by the General Assembly was a win for Big Tobacco. They lobbied this hard — they came in and hired a bunch of lobbyists — and it was a loss for the children in the state of Ohio. We're not done with this battle. I'm going to continue to fight," he says.
DeWine argued flavored tobacco products are what's driving kids and young people to trying tobacco and smoking, leading to addiction.
