Here are your morning headlines for Monday, October 15:
- Ohio US Senate candidates spar over health care, immigration;
- Voting rights group appeals latest Ohio voter purge ruling;
- Prolific charter school founder David Brennan dies;
- Analysis: State's high court candidates raised nearly $900K;
- State wildlife council approves some fishing rules changes;
- Art exhibition to showcase works by veterans;
Ohio US Senate candidates spar over health care, immigration
Candidates in Ohio's U.S. Senate campaign have sparred over health care, approaches to climate change, tariffs and gun control in their first of three debates. Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci on Sunday repeatedly criticized incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown as being a Washington insider, citing Brown's connections to Democrat Sen. Chuck Schumer multiple times. Brown, seeking his third six-year term, portrayed himself as a supporter of worker rights. On health care, Renacci said he supports coverage of preexisting conditions and keeping children on parents' plans until they're 26 years old. But he also said the cost of health care is out of control. Brown said Renacci voted 20 times to repeal the federal health care act, which would have eliminated coverage for preexisting conditions.
Voting rights group appeals latest Ohio voter purge ruling
A voting-rights group has appealed a federal judge's ruling that again said voters haven't been illegally purged from Ohio's rolls. Lawyers for the A. Phillip Randolph Institute asked the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday to allow purged voters to cast ballots next month and that no additional voters be removed until the appeal is resolved.
Prolific charter school founder David Brennan dies
Akron industrialist David Brennan has died, according to the Beacon Journal, which cites a Facebook post from his daughter. Brennan founded White Hat Management, once the largest for-profit charter school operator in the country. Brennan was a major GOP donor who largely shaped school choice policy in Ohio. The company had been losing contracts in recent years and went out of business in August. Brennan was 87.
Analysis: State's high court candidates raised nearly $900K
A government watchdog's analysis finds candidates for the Ohio Supreme Court have raised nearly $900,000 this year. The review of campaign contributions by Common Cause Ohio looked at the court's two November races, which include an open seat and an appointed incumbent's first high court election. The group's review found that Republican incumbent Justice Mary DeGenaro, appointed by Gov. John Kasich earlier this year, raised nearly $270,000 since January, compared to about $129,000 raised by her Democratic challenger, appeals court Judge Melody Stewart. In the court's open race, GOP Judge Craig Baldwin has raised about $250,000, compared to about $234,000 raised by his Democratic opponent, Judge Michael Donnelly. Common Cause Ohio said the court should strengthen rules allowing justices to take themselves off cases that involve contributors.
State wildlife council approves some fishing rules changes
Ohio's Wildlife Council has approved changes to bag and size limits for fish in some bodies of water. The council recently approved changes to allow a year-round open season for black bass in the Lake Erie sport fishing district. Additional changes establish a daily bag limit of one black bass with an 18-inch minimum size limit from May 1 through the fourth Saturday in June. Existing black bass regulations of a five-fish daily limit with a 14-inch minimum size limit still apply at other times of the year.
Art exhibition to showcase works by veterans
An exhibition of veterans' art will showcase works by former military service members from across Ohio and from all five major branches of the U.S. military. The opening ceremony for the Ohio Veterans Art Exhibition will be held Monday at the Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts in Columbus. Officials from the Ohio Department of Veterans Services will be joined at the opening by art enthusiasts, military supporters and members of the general public.
The event set to begin at 11 a.m. will include remarks by veterans department and Ohio Arts Council officials. The free exhibition at the Riffe Gallery's extension in the Riffe Center's lobby continues through Nov. 15. It will feature works of art including sculptures, drawings, paintings and photographs spanning many different eras.
