Ohio’s economic development future remains mired in a legal system that, at best, plods along at a snail’s pace and, at worst, moves at glacial speed.

State leaders must push for this issue to be resolved quickly so that the state’s new public-private economic development entity JobsOhio can have a clear picture of its funding and, ultimately, its fate.

At issue is Gov. John Kasich and the legislature’s move to give the entity control of the state’s liquor sales, a move that raised questions about its constitutionality.

The Ohio Supreme Court rejected a legal challenge last week and sent it back to a lower court, a procedural move will likely delay resolution for months.

This roadblock comes at a time when Ohio needs to be moving forward with economic development, perhaps more than ever before, to compete nationally and globally.

The Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth is a new organization that recently talked with the Lawrence County commissioners about the way it would like to help existing businesses grow.

But, like many other projects across the state, much of its financing hinges on JobsOhio and what the courts decide.

Whatever that decision ultimately is, it must come soon so the state can truly develop for the future.