Karen Kasler

The third and final debate between the major party candidates for governor gets underway Monday night in Cleveland. And it’s perfect timing – since voter registration closes tomorrow.

Watch the debate live on the Ohio Debate Commission's website.

The auditor is considered the top taxpayer watchdog, reviewing the books and doing efficiency audits for thousands of units of state and local government. And the office is up for grabs this year, as are all five of the statewide executive offices.

A two term Democratic state representative from Cleveland has suddenly resigned his seat.

Some 750 doctors say they’re endorsing Democrat for governor Richard Cordray, breaking with the Ohio State Medical Association, which is backing his Republican opponent Mike DeWine. The doctors split over protections for people with pre-existing health conditions.

The Republican and Democratic candidates for governor met for their second face-to-face debate, this time taking questions from an audience and via social media at Marietta College.

The Republican leader of the state Senate says he’s confident that new central Ohio Congressman Troy Balderson will win in November, even as he’s announcing that Balderson’s replacement in the Senate won’t be picked until after the election.

Gov. John Kasich says his Medicaid department has made some changes in required background checks on behavioral and mental health providers – a requirement that came from an executive order he signed in July. Hundreds of providers said the change made them fear for their jobs.

The five statewide executive offices will all turn over this year because of term limits on their occupants. And the person elected treasurer will oversee Ohio’s $21.5 billion-dollar portfolio of investments, and will manage the collection of billions in state revenues.

4,854 people died of accidental drug overdoses in Ohio last year, according to official stats from the Ohio Department of Health. That’s more than 13 people a day, and a 20 percent increase over 2016. But Gov. John Kasich says there is good news in those numbers.

The Republican candidate for governor is now clarifying his earlier statements about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, saying there should be no rush to confirm him.

Two public school districts say Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine shouldn’t handle the state’s lawsuit seeking to recover millions of dollars from the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow. They’re asking a Franklin County court if they can take over the lawsuit against the now-closed online charter school.

The state’s jobless rate last month was unchanged from July.  But that’s mixed news to some who watch the economy.

Gov. John Kasich talked about one of his favorite subjects – partnering with community colleges to develop workers’ high tech skills – as he opened the Midwestern Governors Association workforce summit Wednesday.  But he also talked about what he says won’t be changing when it comes to Ohio’s workforce.

Hundreds of mental health and addiction counselors could lose their jobs because the state is now requiring criminal background checks for people who provide Medicaid services. Some of those counselors and their employers who’d be affected by the new policy are asking state lawmakers to step in.

The Republican ticket for governor wants to bring together business and technology entrepreneurs to advise the state on creating high-tech jobs and improving state services. But right now that won’t help more than a million people who don’t have high speech internet in their homes.

The Republican candidate for governor says Ohio should be a leader in using technology to improve government services and the climate for business. And he wants his running mate to head up the effort to do that.

A dozen high-tech ideas for fighting the opioid crisis have each been awarded $200,000 from Ohio’s Third Frontier fund. The winners were picked in a contest announced last year, and there’s still a final round of cash to come.

The term limited state treasurer has revealed what he may be planning as his next move. But though Josh Mandel filed paperwork that suggests he’ll run for the 11th Congressional district near Cleveland – that may not be the case.

Gov. John Kasich participated in a 9-11 ceremony at the Statehouse, joined by both Republicans and Democrats who stood on the west side of the Statehouse, overlooking a field of nearly 3,000 small flags.

The Ohio Department of Education will release report cards on the state’s more than 600 school districts this week. Meanwhile, a Republican lawmaker is still pushing his bill that would once again overhaul the report card system, saying those simple-to-understand letters are hiding essential information about schools.

Two months into the fiscal year, the state budget department says its forecast for tax revenues is close to on track.

The top justice of the state’s highest court is speaking out on a constitutional amendment on the fall ballot, which would require low-level drug offenders be charged with misdemeanors, not felonies. Supporters say money could then go to treatment instead of crowded prisons. But Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor has concerns about Issue 1.

Ohio has been gaining jobs over the last few years, and its unemployment rate hit its lowest level in 17 years a few months ago. But there are other numbers in the state’s economic overview that raise concerns for a progressive group that reviews the economy each year on Labor Day.

With many Ohio students back in school, officials and lawmakers are hoping to prevent a possible crisis in education like the one that had them scrambling to find alternative graduation requirements for the state’s high school juniors and seniors for the last two years.

Secretary of State Jon Husted – who’s also the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor – has announced the official title for the only statewide issue that’s on the fall ballot.  Backers say the wording means they have work to do.

Ohio’s Democratic US Senator is weighing in on a state scandal – the one involving the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), who is up for re-election this fall, is calling for federal money that went to that now-closed online charter school to be clawed back.

A lot more is coming out about what the FBI was looking for earlier this spring related to an investigation into former House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger’s travel. A search warrant and subpoena shows what the Ohio House turned over to investigators the day after the FBI raided Rosenberger’s home and a storage unit in Wilmington.

The Ohio Republican Party held the biggest annual fundraising dinner in the organization’s history on Friday – headlined by President Trump. The Trump factor will certainly be part of this fall’s midterm elections and Ohio’s major statewide races this fall, with some experts predicting big wins for Democrats. However, guests at the annual state dinner say they’re unified behind their party.