Statewide News

Catholic leaders in Ohio are joining the chorus of church officials urging parishioners to protest and pray about the federal government's decision to require many church-affiliated institutions to cover free birth control for
employees.

Bishops in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Toledo shared their opposition in letters distributed or read to parishioners this weekend, saying the decision runs counter to their beliefs.

An Ohio group has resubmitted paperwork to state officials in its effort to push a ballot initiative that would keep workers who are covered by labor contracts from having to join a union or pay union dues.

The group's lawyer, Maurice Thompson, says Ohioans for Workplace Freedom refiled a new summary of its right-to-work amendment on Monday.

Attorney General Mike DeWine has to clear the summary from the coalition of tea party groups and others before they can start collecting the roughly 386,000 valid signatures needed to get it on the ballot this year.