The Latest: Report: Heavey short signatures in governor bid

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Latest on the Ohio Governor’s Race (all times local):

3:30 p.m.

A news organization is reporting that a late entrant into the Ohio governor’s race appears to have fallen short of the signatures required to make the ballot.

Cleveland.com reported Wednesday that its audit of petitions submitted by Democrat Jon Heavey found only 911 of the 2,173 signatures he gathered were valid. That’s short of the 1,000 needed to qualify.

Heavey is a Cleveland doctor and venture capitalist who emerged as a candidate in the crowded Democratic primary on the Feb. 7 deadline. He’s spent $1.5 million of his own money to a campaign he says was sparked by anger and frustration over Republican President Donald Trump.

The news group’s analysis showed between about 50 per cent and 75 per cent of his signatures were valid in Cuyahoga (ky-uh-HOH’-guh), Franklin and Hamilton counties.

___

2:30 p.m.

A Democratic gubernatorial candidate is proposing a mandatory permitting process for all assault-type weapons in Ohio in the wake of a deadly school shooting in Florida.

William O’Neill said in a policy statement released Wednesday that his plan balances individuals’ Second Amendment rights with the regulatory rights of states.

The former Ohio Supreme Court justice’s plan would require owners of assault-type weapons to physically report to local law enforcement with their weapons once a year to receive a permit.

Failure to renew the permit would be a third-degree felony.

Major legal violations including domestic violence, alcohol-related offences and simple assault would require police to invoke an owner’s permit for one year.

Reinstatement would require a new background check.

___

11:55 a.m.

Want a governor who’s all-in on gun rights? How about one who supports a complete ban on assault-type weapons?

In politically diverse Ohio, candidates’ responses to the deadly Florida school shooting have run the gamut.

Republican Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor reasserted her support for the 2nd Amendment and said more “trained, law-abiding citizens” should be carrying guns on school campuses.

GOP Attorney General Mike DeWine focused on schoolchildren’s safety. He supported beefing up background checks and the state’s threat-detection centre, but stopped short of supporting additional restrictions on gun sales.

Democratic former U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (koo-SIH’-nich) rallied for Ohio to ban assault-type weapons statewide.

Democrat Richard Cordray’s plan included banning sales of bump stocks, creating local gun trafficking task forces and appointing a “gun violence prevention czar.”