Sen. Sherrod Brown is urging Ohio veterans to take advantage of a federal jobs retraining assistance program aimed at matching veterans with high-demand jobs.

Brown, D-Ohio, cosponsored a bill last year aimed at hiring veterans. Among the provisions in the bill was one that offers job retraining assistance to veterans between 35 and 60. The program is being administered by the Veterans Administration and the U.S. Department of Labor, and offers up to 12 months of training assistance to unemployed veterans.

Between July 1 and Sept. 30, 2012, VRAP will accept applications from up to 45,000 participants for retraining assistance. More than 31,000 have applied so far. An additional 54,000 veterans can apply for assistance between Oct. 1, 2012, and March 31, 2014. Participants must be enrolled in a VA-approved education program offered by Ohio’s community colleges or technical skills, and the program must lead to an Associate Degree, Non-College Degree or a Certificate, and train the Veteran for a high-demand occupation.

Veterans are eligible if they’re unemployed on the date of the application, received an other than dishonorable discharge, are not eligible for any other VA education benefit program, are not receiving VA compensation because of unemployability; and are not enrolled in a federal or state job training program.

Portman measure would ban synthetic drugs

President Barack Obama last week signed into law a Food and Drug Administration proposal that included a measure introduced by Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, that would ban synthetic drugs including synthetic marijuana and bath salts.

The drugs, which are chemically produced in laboratories and cause unpredictable side effects in humans, have become increasingly popular but are considered incredibly dangerous: In May, two Ohio men high on bath salts were shot by Columbus police as they tried to restrain their aggressive, violent behavior.

“By banning these substances at the federal level and authorizing the DEA to pursue the manufacturers of these drugs across state lines, passage of this measure is an important step in reversing this streak of devastating crimes,” Portman said.

Meanwhile, Brown is urging the Consumer Product Safety Commission to warn parents about shiny, round magnets known as “Buckyballs.” The product is sold as a desk toy, but has caused serious internal injuries to children who often mistake them for candy.

Brown wrote a letter to CPSC Chairman Inez Moore Tenenbaum urging her to take action after children’s hospitals in Ohio reported an increase in children being treated for swallowing the magnets.

The CPSC banned the sale of the magnets in children’s toys in 2007, but they remain available for purchase as “adult desk toys.”

“While marketed to individuals older than 14 years of age, too many young children are swallowing these high-powered magnets,” Brown wrote, adding that the magnets “can perforate children’s stomachs, tear through intestines, rip the bowel, and damage other organs as magnets connect to one another.”

Big money in Senate race

Brown, who is facing a re-election challenge from Republican Josh Mandel, reported late last week that he has $6.5 million in available cash to spend on his campaign.

In reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, Brown said he raised more than $3 million in the second quarter of this year. Candidates for federal office have until today to file their second-quarter reports.

Mandel, meanwhile, raised some $2.7 million during the second quarter, according to a campaign spokesman. The campaign has $4.9 million in the bank.

The average contribution for Mandel was $140.50, the spokesman said, and 76 percent of his contributions were under $100.

The Brown campaign too says it is getting support from a lot of average Ohioans. The majority of the senator’s contributions came from Ohio and the average size was under $70, according to a press release from the campaign.