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Ohioans can win tickets to governor's State of State address
By Marc Kovac
COLUMBUS
A few lucky Ohioans will get to attend Gov. John Kasich’s State of the State address in Medina later this month, with an emphasis on the word “lucky.”
As was the case for Kasich’s past speeches in Steubenville and Lima, residents can submit their names to a lottery for dozens of tickets to be distributed to the general public. An exact number of such seats has not been determined, but 60 or so tickets were distributed last year.
The speech is scheduled for the evening of Feb. 24 — that’s a Monday — at the Medina Performing Arts Center. The event technically is a joint session of the Ohio House and Senate, with members of both chambers expected to attend.
The facility has room for more than 1,100 people.
This is the third consecutive year Kasich has taken the speech on the road.
Medina, a community of 25,000-plus people, is located about two hours northeast of Columbus, and is the hometown of House Speaker Bill Batchelder, who is completing his final term in the chamber, capping a legislative career that started in the late 1960s.
Residents wanting to snag tickets for the Medina event can make their lottery submission online at governor.ohio.gov/tickets. The deadline for entries is Feb. 18, with winners informed by email the following day.