Ohio lawmakers reveal what they are listening for in State of the Union address

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – President Joe Biden will deliver his State of the Union address on Thursday night and in Ohio, state lawmakers are setting their expectations for what they want to hear. 

“I think he needs to do a good job of taking credit for a lot of the good things his administration and congress have gotten done,” Representative Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson) said.

Economy

One of the two topics Swearingen said his constituents often express concern about is the cost of living. He said he hears that routinely from both Democrats and Republicans in his district.  

“The cost-of-living day to day, week to week, paycheck to paycheck is still very expensive,” Representative D.J. Swearingen (R-Huron) said. “A lot of families are living paycheck to paycheck because everything is so expensive, so my constituents want to hear how that problem is going to be solved.”

Swearingen said he wants to hear how the federal government plans to “reign in spending.”

“We are quite frankly spending money that we just don’t have, and that spending is driving inflation up and devaluing our dollar,” Swearingen said. “As a result, your dollar goes less far than it did at the grocery store and workers’ wages aren’t keeping up with that rising inflation.”


Swearingen said even if Biden talks about decreasing inflation and a better market, he does not think it will resonate with Ohioans.

“My constituents would say ‘it’s not good enough,’” he said.

And while Weinstein said there is “no double that over the last couple of years, prices have escalated,” he sees the light at the end of the tunnel.

“What’s really good is that wages have not only kept up but have outpaced inflation,” Weinstein said. “As inflation has ebbed, we’ve seen wage growth continue, so that’s a really good thing.”

Investments in Ohio

Last year, Biden gave a shout out to the Intel investment being made in Ohio. And Weinstein said this year, he wants to hear more about how states, specifically Ohio, can continue to bring in projects like that.

“We have had, in Ohio, these tremendous federal resources that have come I that have allowed us to do some really exciting projects, like the Chips Act, Inflation Reduction Act,” he said.  “A lot of these historic investments have been the result of both parties working together, so we can talk about good government.”

Weinstein said he hopes Biden, while looking ahead to the future, also takes credit for “the massive wins” he has had.  

“Making that connection of what’s happening in our states and what’s happening in some of our local communities, all the way back to the work the admiration and Joe Biden has done, is really important to make that connection,” Weinstein said. “Some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle take credit for some of these projects or the governor takes credit for some of these projects that are completely funded federally.”

“Selfishly, I like to point to our Ohio Legislature and the work we’ve done to incentivize business to relocate from overseas or other states,” Swearingen said. “We’ve lowered our income tax; we’ve made Ohio a business-friendly state in regard to utilities and taxes and regulations.”


Weinstein said the U.S. is seeing an “economic shift” and now it is up to the states to be prepared for these investments.

“What we can do in the legislature is prepare Ohioans and make sure we are fully ready to take advantage of it,” he said.

Southern Border

Swearingen said the second area of concern he often hears from his constituents is about the southern border.

“We have several bills pending in the legislature to deal with the impact of the borders itself, but until the border problem is resolved at the federal level, we are going to see those issues in the state of Ohio,” Swearingen said.

Swearingen said while Ohio is not a border state geographically, Ohioans are feeling the impact.

“The number of drugs, the amount of human trafficking that comes from the southern border is enormous,” he said.

Weinstein agrees, something needs to be done.

“Not a border state, but there’s no doubt that immigration at large needs reform,” he said. “It’s a real issue, even for Ohioans, that I hear about that resonates nationally.”

The U.S. Senate did pass a bipartisan border bill that Weinstein said he would like to see Biden urge the U.S. House to take up for a vote.

“I really think there is a bipartisan coalition to get it done and signed into law now to address the issue.”

While Swearingen and Weinstein agree, something needs to be done, they do not see eye-to-eye on the best solution right now.

 “We want to both create pathways for workers to get here legally and deal with folks who are here illegally, provide a pathway for them. Or folks who are not getting in the system, paying taxes, not obeying the law, to get them out of here,” Weinstein said.

“I think the solution that I would be happy with is probably not the one he is going to say,” Swearingen said. “I would personally like to see our border just be totally shut down until we get this under control of what’s going on down there. I don’t think the president’s comments will be as drastic but that’s what a lot of my constituents say they want.”

Swearingen said it would be a “huge help” to Ohio to “get the border under wraps right now.” He said what he is seeing from the Biden administration is a lack of focus on the issue.  

“We are sending so much money overseas to fund wars, but we’re not putting that money into securing our own country,” Swearingen said.

2024 Election

This address comes as we are less than 8 months away from the general election, and in Ohio, just a few weeks out from the primary. 

“This is the chance for the president to lay out his agenda and share his successes and where he wants to go from here,” Weinstein said. “What it comes down to is how are we improving people’s lives, how are we impacting people in a positive way in their day to day lives.”

“I think anything, at this point, Biden could say to turn the tide of the election between him, and President Trump would make him sound like a Republican,” Swearingen said.

Swearingen said he thinks, especially in Ohio, Trump has the “winning message.”

“On the cost of living and some of the issues on the southern border,” he said. “And I think that’s going to resonate with not only a lot of Republicans but also a lot of independent and unaffiliated voters in the state of Ohio.”

And Weinstein said he is confident that Biden can speak to successes that will help Democrats win federally and in Ohio.

“Investments in our communities, infrastructure, safety services, clean water, clear air, great education,” Weinstein said. “On all of those fronts, there have been massive and historic investments made at the federal level that have trickled down into our districts and have made a significant impact, a positive impact.”