Today Gov. John R. Kasich formally asked the General Assembly to convene a special joint session in Lima on Feb. 19 for his annual State of the State address.

Continuing a tradition he began last year at Steubenville’s Wells Academy, the top-ranked public school in the state, Kasich’s decision to deliver the State of the State outside the capital again is rooted in his desire to make state government more accessible to Ohioans and shine a light on communities across Ohio making contributions to the state’s success. 

If the General Assembly approves the necessary legislation to hold the special session in Lima, Kasich would deliver the speech at Lima’s Veterans Memorial Civic & Convention Center.

Since January 2011, Allen County has experienced strong economic improvement, including an increase of 2,000 jobs in the Lima Metropolitan Area. Over the same amount of time, Allen County has gone from 10.8% unemployment down to 6.7, reflecting Ohio’s strong economic resurgence and the importance of an improved environment for job creation via low taxes, streamlined regulations and a structurally balanced budget.

Ohio governors deliver the annual State of the State address to a joint session of the General Assembly; therefore the General Assembly must pass a Joint Resolution enabling the legislature to convene for the day at the Veteran’s Memorial Civic & Convention Center of Lima.