Tagged: Attorney General Mike DeWine

A proposed constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana and certain uses of hemp has cleared Ohio's ballot board.

The panel's approval Thursday sends the issue into its signature-gathering phase, with a 2014 vote most likely. The deadline for this fall's ballot is July 6.

Proponents of the Ohio Cannibus Rights Amendment must first collect roughly 385,000 signatures in 44 of Ohio's 88 counties to get the issue before voters. Three previous marijuana-related issues have been cleared by Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine since 2011 but stalled.

The state of Ohio has received a $2.1 million federal grant to improve criminal background checks for those home health care workers who directly serve the disabled and elderly.

The money means more thorough reviews for more than 100,000 workers who provide direct care to patients in Medicaid- and Medicare-funded settings.

Gov. John Kasich's administration says Ohio also will provide $700,000 in state funds to bolster background checks.

School safety was the top topic for the state board of education, which hoped to learn about how to make buildings, staff and students more secure. But Ohio Public Radio’s Karen Kasler reports, one idea that’s been making the rounds isn't likely to move forward

“Twenty-two seconds from the time the shooter shot the first bullet till the time he exited the school building. Twenty-two seconds.”