COLUMBUS, Ohio — It’s a new way to cover newsmakers. You want transparency, right? Let's be clear, then.
"Let's Be Clear" is all about transparency. WKYC has a clear, mobile newsroom that we're taking across the state over the next few weeks to talk to those making headlines in Ohio. Whether you agree with the guest, disagree, or are a fan of them, we know you have questions for them.
So you’re going to be the one asking the questions. Write in what you want to know and our Will Ujek will pose it to them… live. You can tweet questions with #3LetsBeClear or leave them on our Facebook page.
On Thursday, we sat down with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine from inside the state house. Due to the frigid weather, we couldn't use the Let's Be Clear truck, but we still took viewer questions for the governor.
DeWine discussed the latest update on the closure of the General Motors Lordstown plant, arming school teachers and his stance on recreational marijuana.
You can watch the full interview again below:
DeWine said he spoke with General Motors CEO Mary Barra about the Lordstown plant. His message to her, he says, was that if GM can't replace production of the Chevrolet Cruze at the plant, the plant should be sold to another auto maker.
"I came away with certainly no commitment that they're going to put their own product in there, but I have an understanding that they're working hard to get somebody else in there," DeWine said.
DeWine also met with top auto officials at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this month, should another company want to take over the Lordstown plant.
"When you take Lordstown down, that's a huge blow to the Mahoning Valley," DeWine said.
Now that medical marijuana has launched in Ohio, DeWine says his focus is on ensuring that the program works rather than thinking about expanding marijuana to recreational use.
"I think it's a mistake," he said, noting that he visited Colorado when recreational marijuana was on the Ohio ballot.
DeWine said he thinks legalizing recreational pot will "change the culture" among teens and underage use of the drug will increase. DeWine also said he has concerns over marijuana-laced foods, such as candy, in fear that small children could consume them.
"I just look at all the things that happen with recreational marijuana and I kind of scratch my head and I say, why? Why would we want to do that?" DeWine added.
DeWine's action against the opioid crisis began when he was Attorney General as he filed a lawsuit against opoid manufacturers. The goal, he says, was to make manufacturers provide help and resources to those addicted to opioids and provide education to law enforcement.
"We think they started the problem, or at least played a major role in getting the problem started," he said. "They need to be part of the solution."
As a former educator, DeWine says school safety is a big issue, but he isn't sure arming teachers is the right solution.
Instead, he emphasized turning attention to mental health and said his budget will allocate money toward that.
"If you look at some of the horrible tragedies we've seen and you go back in time, what you'll see is that in some of those cases, the child that ended up being the shooter gave a lot of indications to people that they had mental health problems," DeWine said.
He also said he believes school safety plans and school resource officers are better alternatives to arming teachers.
