Though it's been almost seven months since the 2014 governor's race, a battle waged by the libertarian who wanted to be on the ballot finally ended this week. The state's Elections Commission voted 5-2 to dismiss the complaint from Charlie Earl, who claimed that Republican consultant Terry Casey conspired with the Kasich/Taylor campaign to get Earl's nominating petitions tossed out. A new statue of one of Ohio's most famous exports is at the Statehouse through the fall, and then Thomas Edison moves to a permanent home in the US Capitol. The Republican incumbent for US Senate has a potential opponent - Don Eckhart of Galloway.

It's been a busy two weeks for the man who appears to be the underdog in the race for the Democratic nomination for US Senate. 30 year old Cincinnati City Councilman PG Sittenfeld said this week he's challenging his opponent, former Gov. Ted Strickland, to a series of six what he calls "issue-oriented" debates. Last week Sittenfeld was in Columbus to deliver a speech that his campaign said affirms his candidacy for US Senate - even as the party has officially endorsed Strickland. He talks about why he's in the campaign and that he plans to stay. (Ted Strickland was invited to appear on "The State of Ohio" this week as well, and has declined for now.)

The budget has passed the House and now is in the Senate. In January, before Gov. Kasich's budget came out, three outspoken advocates for vulnerable populations who lean on the state for help talked about their hopes for the budget. Lisa Hamler Fugitt is the executive director of the Ohio Association of Food Banks. Terry Russell is the executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Ohio, also known as NAMI Ohio. And Jack Frech was the executive director of Athens County Job and Family Services - he retired at the end of last year. He joined us through the facilities of WOUB in Athens. The conversation began with a question to each about how things have changed for the people they represent in the last two years.