Today, Ohio House Speaker William G. Batchelder (R-Medina) issued the following statement regarding Governor John Kasich’s first 100 days as Ohio’s 69th governor:

“John Kasich and I have been friends for many years, and I have always known him to be a man of great vision and character. This has never been more true than in his first 100 days as the governor of the State of Ohio. He has assembled a team of extraordinarily capable, intelligent cabinet officials and staff to help our state during this difficult time. I am confident that Governor Kasich is continuing to put Ohio on the path to prosperity.

“In a very short period of time, the House has been able to work cooperatively and collaboratively with the governor to pass major legislative reforms with one goal in mind – putting Ohioans back to work. Our caucus, along with the governor, has always had a mutually agreed upon understanding of the urgency of creating jobs and focusing on the issues that matter to all Ohioans. The first bill passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by the governor was JobsOhio, which will modernize our state’s economic development efforts. It is exactly these types of bold initiatives that Ohio needs if we want to once again be competitive.

“As a legislator for more than 35 years, I can tell you that no governor has been more willing to work with the Legislature and make the difficult decisions—without regard to the political and personal consequences—so long as the end results are job creation and fixing Ohio’s once-prosperous economy. It has been an honor and privilege for me to work alongside my friend John Kasich, and I look forward to continue working with him and my esteemed colleague, Senate President Tom Niehaus, on the important issues that lie ahead.”