Ohio: Joyce Beatty

The vacancies were created in November when Common Pleas Judges Eric Brown and John A. Connor were elected to the Probate Court and Franklin County Court of Appeals, respectively.

Gov. Ted Strickland will fill the vacancies, but not immediately, spokeswoman Amanda Wurst said.

The Ohio Supreme Court has appointed Dale A. Crawford and Alan C. Travis to fill in until Strickland acts. Both are retired Common Pleas judges from Franklin County.

Strickland will take recommendations from the Ohio Judicial Appointments Recommendation Panel, a bipartisan committee that he created in January 2007 to screen applicants.

Among the applicants are political newcomers:

• Laurel A. Beatty, 34, daughter of former state Reps.

Gov. Ted Strickland and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown made the announcement with Service Employees International Union District 1199 President Becky Williams Thursday morning that the union-led coalition is ending its campaign to put an issue on the ballot Nov. 4 that would require employers to give full-time workers seven paid sick days a year.

The coalition leaders, including SEIU and the Healthy Families Act Coalition, will instead work to pass a federal paid sick-leave bill co-sponsored by Brown that would apply to all states.

DENVER - Ohio Democratic Party chair Chris Redfern spoke to PolitickerOH.com about the Democratic effort to take over control of the Ohio House of Representatives by picking up four plus seats this November. Redfern spoke during the Ohio House Democratic caucus reception at the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library.

[img_assist|nid=95|title=House Minority Leader Joyce Beatty (D-Columbus)|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=77|height=100]Superdelegate and Ohio House Minority Leader Joyce Beatty (D - Columbus) announced her support for Barack Obama in a statement, saying he is the right person for the job. Beatty becomes the seventh Ohio superdelegate to support Obama, compared to eight for Clinton and six more who are still undecided.