Ohio has become the first state in the country to try a single dose of a powerful surgical sedative to put a condemned inmate to death. The dismantling of former Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland's education reform package continues in the legislature, with votes on calamity days and all-day kindergarten requirements.

The State of the State is arguably the biggest event on Capitol Square each year. And this year the stakes and the expectations were especially high, with Gov. John Kasich delivering his first State of the State. And tensions were high too, as both supporters and opponents of Kasich's agenda demonstrated at the Statehouse. Thousands of pro-union protestors opposed to collective bargaining reforms backed by Kasich and Republican lawmakers then flooded the Statehouse for the speech. Even as their nearly deafening chants could be heard inside the chamber, the governor delivered a mostly upbeat and often passionate address that went on for more than an hour, and sounded at turns like a campaign speech, a sales pitch, and a rendition of the governor's favorite talking points.

Afterward, the reaction was predictably mixed, but mostly positive, because most of the state's lawmakers and all of the top officeholders are Republicans. Among those weighing in are Speaker Bill Batchelder (R-Medina), Senate President Tom Niehaus (R-New Richmond), Senate Minority Leader Capri Cafaro )D-Hubbard), House Minority Leader Armond Budish (D-Beachwood) and Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo).

The first name many government watchers think of when the word privatization comes up is actually a last name - Kvamme. Gov. Kasich refers to his appointee to head up his JobsOhio intiative usually by just his last name, and Mark Kvamme was at the Statehouse for Kasich's speech.

The day before the speech, some opponents of the collective bargaining bill held what they called the State of the Worker Address, held outside a long abandoned department store a block away from the Statehouse. It featured longtime state workers concerned about the upcoming budget. State employees Carla Schock, Tim Roberts, Bill Melvin and John Clark share their thoughts and concerns.