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Council Opposes 26 Liquor License Renewals, Supports Same-Sex Marriage

Columbus City Council last night voted to oppose renewing the annual liquor licenses of 26 bars and carryouts due to underage sales and criminal activity. Cities have until January to file such objections with the Ohio Division of Liquor Control. Assistant Columbus City prosecutor Bill Sperlazza says the 26 objections are a record for the city. He says two of the businesses are on Parsons Avenue.

Sperlozza says another objection is to the renewal of the license for a North side business where a shooting took place last Saturday.

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Sperlazza says the city has objected to 30 liquor license renewals over the past three years. Council also approved a resolution making Columbus the first city in Ohio to openly support same-sex marriage.  Council president Andy Ginther sponsored the measure honoring the group working to overturn Ohio's same-sex marriage ban, which is called Why Marriage Matters Ohio.

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Resoultions carry no legal weight, but the panel has often used them to energize its political base or try and win votes. Ginther is running for Mayor next year in a city recognized as being among the most LGBT-friendly in the nation. Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman has said marriage is between one man and one woman. Coleman is not running for re-election next year.

Jim has been with WCBE since 1996. Before that he worked as a reporter at another Columbus radio station, and for three newspapers in Southwest Florida.
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