On Wednesday, Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted announced additional state support to help strengthen the local meat supply chain and reduce reliance on out-of-state meat processors.

Seventy-five Ohio meat processors will receive grants totaling approximately $15 million to help them expand capacity and meet the growing demand for meat processing services.

These awards are the second round of funding offered through the Ohio Meat Processing Grant Program. Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor Husted, in partnership with the Ohio General Assembly, increased the amount of funding available through this program from $10 million to $25 million in April after the need for grants far exceeded the initial funding amount. 

"I'm happy that we've now been able to help every qualifying meat processor who applied for assistance," said Governor DeWine. "Meat processors are essential to ensuring that our grocery stores and restaurants have protein available to feed Ohio families."

“Meat processors have struggled with the supply chain issues that have also impacted other industries,” said Lt. Governor Husted. “These grants will help meat processors increase productivity, which means they can increase the supply and lower costs for the consumer.”

Also on Wednesday, Governor DeWine signed the following bills into law:

House Bill 30, sponsored by Representative Scott Wiggam and Representative Darrell Kick, clarifies the law governing slow-moving vehicles and revises the lighting and reflective material requirements applicable to animal-drawn vehicles.

House Bill 338, sponsored by Representative Jim Hoops, makes changes to the laws related to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, regional transit authorities, toll violations between states, the financial contracting authority of the Director of Transportation for purposes of the Brent Spence Bridge Project, and makes an appropriation.

“I appreciate the work of the Ohio General Assembly in support of our commitment to the anticipated Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project that would ease supply-chain delays and traffic congestion between Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky,” said Governor DeWine. “Both Ohio and Kentucky are dedicated to working together to keep this vital national freight corridor open and moving, and we are optimistic that the U.S. Department of Transportation will also see the significant national importance of this project and approve our request for $1.6 billion in federal assistance that would make companion bridge project a reality.”

The Governor also issued the following statements on bills passed by the Ohio General Assembly on Wednesday:

Capital Budget (HB 687)

"I thank the General Assembly for their partnership in supporting these important projects across Ohio which will make a tremendous impact and continue job growth in our state. House Bill 687 also creates a significant and historic investment into our state parks, which are true gems which can be enjoyed by all Ohioans and those who support our tourism industry."

Intel Investment (HB 687)

"Intel's investment in Ohio remains a gamechanger for Ohio's economy as well as our commitment to re-shore domestic manufacturing in Ohio. I thank the General Assembly for their support of our incentive offers to finalize this investment, as well as investment in important infrastructure for local governments near the project.

School Safety (HB 687)

"Last week I called for significant investment to improve our school buildings so that every school building in the state, public and private, can meet the best practices for physical school safety. The Capital Budget contains $100 million for school security upgrades at K-12 schools and $5 million for campus security upgrades in higher education. I thank the General Assembly for supporting and protecting our students and teachers"

Armed School Security Staff (HB 99)

"Last week I called on the General Assembly to pass a bill that would allow local school districts, if they so chose, to designate armed staff for school security and safety. My office worked with the General Assembly to remove hundreds of hours of curriculum irrelevant to school safety and to ensure training requirements were specific to a school environment and contained significant scenario-based training. House Bill 99 accomplishes these goals, and I thank the General Assembly for passing this bill to protect Ohio children and teachers. I look forward to signing this important legislation."

Historic Investment in Appalachia (HB 377)

"I thank the General Assembly for supporting my plan to comprehensively invest in our Appalachian region of Ohio. As I stated during my State of the State address, this $500 million investment will support local initiatives to revitalize downtown districts, enhance quality of life, and help rebuild the economies of Ohio's 32 Appalachian counties. This investment will secure a better future for this region"

On Thursday, Governor DeWine, Lt. Governor Husted, and JobsOhio joined representatives from the Ford Motor Company to announce that Ford is investing $1.5 billion into Lorain County at the Ford Ohio Assembly Plant in Avon Lake to assemble an all-new commercial electric vehicle (EV). This investment will create 1,800 new hourly jobs.

“The ingenuity and talent of Ohio’s automotive workforce are second to none, and Ford’s investment in Avon Lake will play an essential role in growing the EV space,” said Ohio Governor DeWine. “Ford has been a partner in Ohio for generations, and its confidence in the Ford Ohio Assembly Plant operations secures EV operations in Lorain County that will be critical for decades to come.”  

In addition to the 1,800 new jobs to make the new commercial EV at the Ford Ohio Assembly Plant, the expanded facility will continue producing Ford’s E-series van, medium-duty trucks and Super Duty chassis cabs. Ford also announced an additional 90 jobs and a $100 million investment between its Lima Engine Plant and Sharonville Transmission plants.

“There are many wonderful aspects to a day like today, but the special news for Northeast Ohio is that there will be 1,800 new, good-paying jobs with health care benefits and the higher quality of life and job security that comes along with it,” said Lt. Governor Husted. “Governor DeWine and I are glad Ford chose Ohio to help manufacture this EV vehicle, continuing the region’s extensive legacy in automotive innovation.”

WATCH: Video from the Ford announcement in Avon Lake

Also on Thursday, Governor DeWine made several appointments, including to the Marion Technical College Board of Trustees, Wright State University Board of Trustees, State Board of Emergency Medical, Fire, and Transportation Services, and more.

Additionally on Thursday, Governor DeWine and Major General John C Harris Jr. visited the 179^th Airlift Wing in Mansfield, where they met with four members of the 179^th from different areas of the Base.