Beshear, DeWine talk bipartisanship in Cincinnati

The University of Cincinnati played host to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear for a moderated discussion about the benefits of bipartisanship.

UC's Portman Center for Policy Solutions organized the sold-out talk called “Across the River and Across the Aisle“ at Probasco Auditorium that was moderated by former U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio.

C-SPAN and news outlets in both states covered the talk, which touched on infrastructure such as the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project and national issues such as the interstate deployments of the U.S. Army National Guard and the shutdown of the federal government.

Center Director and UC College of Arts and Sciences Associate Professor Andrew Lewis introduced the speakers and moderator. President Neville Pinto welcomed the guests and audience to UC.

“Gov. Beshear and Gov. DeWine, each of you has consistently prioritized the importance of strong, well-supported universities and colleges as engines of opportunity, discovery and talent,“ Pinto said. “Your advocacy reminds us that an investment in education is a shared commitment to the next generation.“

Beshear noted that Pinto has Kentucky ties as the former acting president of the University of Louisville, where he also taught chemical engineering before coming to UC.

The governors highlighted higher education as one of several important paths to success for the next generation.

DeWine touted co-op programs such as UC's, which is ranked as fourth-best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. In co-op, students divide the year between full-time classroom instruction and full-time employment with an employer in their field.

“UC does this and has done it better than most anyone else,“ DeWine said. “No matter the major of that student, they have some hands-on work in their particular industry.“

DeWine said Ohio provides scholarships to students who graduate at the tops of their high school classes. He noted that one large private employer was thinking about relocating from Ohio until it learned how many chemistry students graduate each year from Ohio schools.

Beshear promoted the benefits of university research funding to develop technology, cure disease and solve problems.

“A four-year university like this one and so many others are so critical, not just for states but for the country,“ Beshear said “The training of these incredible minds who are here today — not just in some topic but to be critical thinkers, to be problem-solvers — is needed in every business and every infrastructure project the government faces.“

Featured image at top: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear shake hands before a talk on bipartisanship at UC's Probasco Auditorium. Photo/Michael Miller

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