The embattled chief of the Ohio Republican Party has announced he's stepping down, just days ahead of a central committee vote on his leadership. Meanwhile, the chair of the Ohio Democratic Party chair has a challenger as he runs for another term at the helm of his party. This week Marc Dann became the first former attorney general to come before the Ohio Supreme Court with his law license on the line.

Ohio's welfare rolls have dropped 18% over the past year. The improving economy is one reason for the drop, but the state has also been kicking people off the welfare rolls. Federal welfare reform requires half of the state's welfare recipients to be working or in job training programs for 30 hours a week for single-parent families, and 55 hours a week for two-parent families, though there are some exceptions. Ohio was slapped with the highest fines in the nation last year, and could $130 million in funding by the end of September unless that percentage goes up to 50%. Talking about this new effort and the work requirement idea as part of welfare reform are four people on the front lines: Michael Colbert, Director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Joel Potts, executive director of the Job and Family Services Directors' Association, Phil Cole, executive director of the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies, and Jack Frech, director of the Athens County Department of Job and Family Services.