Kasich flooded with emails

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - A newspaper analysis shows opponents of an Ohio bill to limit public workers' collective bargaining rights sent Gov. John Kasich thousands of emails during a two-month battle over the measure.

The Republican governor signed it last week after it passed the GOP-led Legislature amid a national fight over union rights. Supporters say it's needed to help the state economically, but opponents are pushing for a referendum.

The Columbus Dispatch obtained more than 14,000 emails through a public-records request and found 84 percent of the nearly 12,000 relevant messages were from people who opposed the measure. Nearly two-thirds came from senders identified as public employees or their close relatives, and many were variations of a standardized message.

Supporters sent notes, too, amounting to 16 percent of the e-mails.