Kasich under scrutiny heading into important speech

He is fresh off a bruising fight and ultimate defeat over the rights of unionized public workers.

His approval ratings among voters are low, and some fellow Republicans in the Legislature have grumbled openly over Gov. John Kasich's decision to move his State of the State speech outside the capital to eastern Ohio.

Against this backdrop, Kasich plans to lay out his second-year agenda Tuesday. It will focus on education and the economic promise of oil and natural gas drilling.

Political experts say moving the speech to an elementary school in Steubenville allows Kasich to reconnect with the public after last fall's bitter collective bargaining battle.

The decision also inconveniences some lawmakers -- including those in his own party, whose support is necessary to push his policies through the Legislature.