Republican Speaker of the Ohio House Jon Husted is blocking this legislation. Not a surprise. Husted is trying to delay getting anything done until the next Republican is elected governor. Just look at the schedule that the Republican-controlled state legislature has---( http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/today.cfm ). Working 2-3 days per week isn't getting anything accomplished in the state. It is clear that the Republicans are obstructing progress in Ohio.
Further evidence from the Plain Dealer indicates that Husted and his GOP buddies are attacking Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner with a goal in mind. The Republicans are trying to weaken Brunner so that Jon Husted can run for her office in 2010. (To readers outside of Ohio: Republicans in this state are still trying to gain control of the governor's office after the scandals of the previous Republican administration.)
Republicans want to have a Republican Secretary of State because it is the office that manages the voting, how votes are counted, and who sits on the county board of elections, etc.... Get it?
Americablog has an interesting statistic:
1 in 10 Ohioans Receiving Food Stamps
...As for Ohio, after years of a complete lock on power, the state is going to take years to undo the problems created by Republican rule. McCain is going to have a tough time winning over the swing state, especially since his own economic policies and advisers are so closely tied to the kinds of policies that dragged the state down. Of course, Democrats are going to have to start pointing this out much more often...
Here is the Dispatch article on the sad statistic:
.....Caseloads have almost doubled just since 2001, with 1.1 million residents now collecting benefits, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
Low wages, unemployment and the rising cost of groceries, gasoline and other necessities are to blame for financial hardships facing many Ohio families.....
....Not surprisingly, food pantries and soup kitchens across the state have been reporting record demands. Like the families they serve, they, too, cannot keep pace....
While Husted and the Republicans work to expand their campaign war chests, consolidate their power, and plot their political futures, they are doing nothing to help Ohio families.