Associated Press

Voter advocacy groups, including the League of Women Voters, have told a state panel that Republican-drawn boundaries for state legislative districts would further solidify the party's grip on the Ohio Legislature for years to come.  

The groups testified Monday at a hearing of the Ohio Apportionment Board. The panel is charged with redrawing Ohio's legislative districts every 10 years to reflect changes in population after each census.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The Ohio Lottery Commission wants the state to waive its competitive bidding process and award an additional $9 million over two years to a company that already helps run the state's lottery games.

The state Controlling Board was to decide Monday whether to let Intralot Inc. develop the system that will operate slots-like video lottery terminals in the state. The system would track the machines' activity, including number of wins and payouts.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - A congressional panel holds a hearing today on a draft environmental rule that would tighten oversight of coal mining.

The Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources is holding today's hearing in Charleston, West Virginia, on a proposed stream buffer zone rule.

The rule aims to keep coal-mining debris away from mountain streams. Coal-industry supporters say this and other Obama administration proposals threaten jobs and the economy, while environmentalists say such dumping harms water quality and animal habitats.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Ohio is exploring how to take advantage of President Barack Obama's plan to let states opt out of parts of the federal No Child Left Behind law.

State schools Superintendent Stan Heffner says Ohio is reviewing details from the U.S. Department of Education.

The 2001 law sought to hold schools more accountable for student performance and require better qualified teachers. But it has grown increasingly unpopular as more schools risk being labeled failures.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Some legal experts are calling unconstitutional a maneuver used by Ohio Republicans in an effort to protect a new, GOP-drawn congressional map from a repeal effort by an angry electorate.

A spokesman for Governor John Kasich says the map approved Wednesday by the Legislature will be signed into law Monday.

A state Senate committee tacked on $2.75 million to the map to help local elections boards with implementation. The Ohio Constitution states that bills appropriating money cannot be repealed.