Bob Taft officially began his second term as governor of Ohio yesterday as he was sworn in at the Ohio Theatre before a crowd of 2,800 people.
Following his inauguration, Taft gave a speech which included discussion of a new higher education initiative designed to help students soar “to even higher levels of achievement.”
Taft’s inaugural speech spelled out his plans to establish the Governor’s Commission on Higher Education and the Economy. The proposed commission will include leaders of government, business, labor and academia.
The commission will have one year to come up with solutions on how to improve the quality of higher education, Taft said. It will also determine how higher education can effectively support the state’s economy.
Democrats are skeptical about the methods of financial support for such a renewed commitment to higher education with the looming challenge of a tight budget. House Minority Leader Chris Redfern, D-Catawba Island, said he wants the governor to be practical in funding higher education during his next four years.
“Gov. Taft had the chance to increase funding when our budget was at a surplus. This should have been a priority during his first term in office. It is not realistic to believe that we can raise all the funding for education with the deficit that we are facing,” Redfern said.
At a press conference following the inauguration, Taft spoke of a new plan geared toward higher education and his expectations in terms of the re-implementation of tuition caps.
“Although we have a challenging budget ahead of us, we realize the tremendous return the state gets on the investment of higher education. There will be a tuition cap proposal as part of the new budget,” Taft said.
As for the commission, Taft is expecting an open dialogue that will identify all areas of concern regarding higher education, including funding and the commitment to keeping college graduates in Ohio.
As part of the inaugural address, newly-elected Lt. Gov. Jennette Bradley, a former Columbus city councilwoman, was sworn in. Bradley is the first black female lieutenant governor in U.S. history. She expressed excitement about making history.
“I am looking forward to sharing the governor’s mission of improving the state of education,” Bradley said. “I hope my election works to encourage all other women and minorities alike to enter the public service.”
Taft, Ohio’s 67th governor, also reaffirmed his position on the Dec. 12 DeRolph decision.
“We will continue to address the Supreme Court’s decision by increasing the state aid for primary school funding,” Taft said. “We are determined to comply with the DeRolph ruling and the No Child Left Behind Act.”
In addition to education funding, Taft talked about the advancement of his Third Frontier Project, which intends to expand Ohio’s high-tech research and development capabilities.
“We’ll be asking voters to approve a new bond issue to recruit scholars, attract more research dollars, and move new ideas from the laboratory into the marketplace,” Taft said during his speech.
Taft and Bradley began the day at 12:01 a.m. when they were legally sworn in by Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer at the governor’s residence.
Later in the day at the State Theatre, it was Taft’s daughter, Anna, who swore in the governor.
Taft will deliver the annual “State of the State” speech next Wednesday in front of the General Assembly. He will officially submit the state’s new budget in February.
