Ohio Governor Mike DeWine made a stop in Trumbull County to celebrate the Warren G. Harding High School's new recreation and wellness center, and 21 News asked the Governor what his legislative priorities are as 2024 soon comes to a close. 

This comes as DeWine is in the process of making another big decision: Who will replace Vice President-elect JD Vance in the Ohio U.S. Senate seat?

DeWine said despite some notable Ohio Republican names floating around as potential picks, only he knows who he's considering to fill the spot once Vance heads to the White House.

"There's been a lot of speculation about who I'm going to pick, and the only person that really knows who is in consideration is myself and my wife and my team," DeWine said, "This is a big state. This is a diverse state. We want someone who's going to be fighting for Ohio every single day. It's also important to have someone who will go to the Senate with the idea that they're going to work. It's one thing to be on TV a lot, but the main work of the Senate is in the Senate. It's in the committee rooms. It is working on legislation to help not just Ohio, but frankly, to help the whole country."

He added, "Just because a name is out there, does not mean it's under consideration."

"There also may be some names that are not out there and have not been reported that might also be under consideration," he said, "So this is just a process that I'm going through. I want to get the right person. I intend to do everything I can to get that right person."

Meanwhile, the Ohio legislature is trying to get various bills passed and signed into law before 2025. 

House Bill 296 requires municipalities to increase the amount they pay toward first responder pensions, a bill the Ohio Mayor's Alliance opposes.

21 News asked DeWine if he'll sign the bill and if he's taking into account local governments who said they can't afford it.

"We're going to listen to everybody. We're certainly going to listen to local government in regard to this," he said, "But this bill has not been passed yet, so we'll wait and see if it gets passed."

Multiple student-related bills are also floating in the statehouse, including Senate Bill 104. The "bathroom bill" would ban transgender kids from using restrooms that align with their gender identities, a type of legislation DeWine has said he acknowledged in the past could cause trauma for transgender kids. Another school-related bill is House Bill 8, which would require educators to out a student's sexuality to their parents, among other requirements.

DeWine said he has not made up his mind on these bills. 

"We're going to look at these bills, and I'll make a decision," he said. 

DeWine added he has not set a time on when he's announcing who will fill Vance's seat but added he's been having meetings and discussions with people on the decision.

He plans to have his pick sworn in once Vance's resignation is effective, he said, so there is no gap.