From Casino City Times.com

As reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer: "The developer seeking to build a hotel with slot machines at Broadway Commons has filed a new petition seeking statewide voter approval of gambling - for a third time.

"Kim Norris, spokeswoman for Attorney General Jim Petro, said the petition was filed late Friday. It contains more than 3,200 signatures.

"Last Tuesday, Petro rejected a petition from hotelier Louis Beck and Queen City Gaming Entertainment because it had 83 fewer voters' names than 1,000-signature minimum.

"…An additional 323,000 signatures are needed by Aug. 9 to place the issue on the Nov. 7 ballot. But they can't be collected until Petro approves petition language and the initial signatures. His office has 10 working days from Friday to complete its review…"

From ONNnews.com

Gov. Bob Taft signed a bill Monday that kills a ballot issue some saw as the biggest hurdle to his party's candidate for governor.

The bill limiting state spending was fashioned by the GOP-controlled Legislature as a substitute for Republican nominee Kenneth Blackwell's increasingly unpopular government-limiting issue that was slated for the Nov. 7 ballot.

Republican leaders feared the issue would drag down Blackwell - and candidates further down the ticket - against Democratic nominee Ted Strickland.

Democrats have their best chance in more than a decade to take control of the bellwether state engulfed in Republican scandal.

After resisting similar caps for years, lawmakers took less than a week to craft and approve the restrictions, and to adjust state statutes to assure Blackwell's amendment could legally be withdrawn.

Blackwell campaign spokesman Carlo LoParo on Ted Strickland's effort to win African American support:

"Before this campaign, his idea of diversity was opting for Neapolitan ice cream at the congressional buffet." (Plain Dealer, 6/6/06)

Hat Tip: State of the Union

From the Plain Dealer

Columbus -- Some of Ohio's most powerful and connected business leaders sit on university boards of trustees, and they gathered Tuesday to hear from both candidates for governor.

But only one showed up for the Ohio Board of Regents' annual Statewide Trustees' Conference.

Democrat Ted Strickland sent his wife and his policy adviser, who said the candidate had a previous commitment at Lorain County Community College.

The audience groaned.

Republican nominee Ken Blackwell showed up in person and mentioned that he'd spent the morning in Cleveland, noting it was possible to "be in Cleveland and Columbus on the same day."

The audience chuckled.

This is actually a good story, read it.

From WKSU

They're glad that state legislators and republican candidate for governor Ken Blackwell are working together to yank off of the November ballot a proposed constitutional amendment, limiting the growth of state and local government spending. But the education advocates are worried, because, in place of the ballot issue, legislators have passed a new law to limit just the growth of state spending.