Ohio politics podcast: LaRose enters Senate race, drag ban drops and Issue 1 is unpopular

Ohio's secretary of state jumped into the race for U.S. Senate this week. Our attorney general said he wanted access to out-of-state abortion records, and House Republicans introduced a plan to restrict drag shows in public places.

We break down what it all means in this week's episode of Ohio Politics Explained. A podcast from the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau designed to share the state's political news in 15 minutes or less.

This week, host Anna Staver was joined by reporter Haley BeMiller.

1) LaRose is running for U.S. Senate

After months of speculation and not-so-subtle tweets, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose made his run for the U.S. Senate official.

LaRose announced Monday morning that he's seeking the Republican nomination this spring to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown in 2024.

“I'm a father, but I’m also a fighter. I’m somebody who knows how to get things done," LaRose said in an interview. "I’m a warrior but a joyful warrior. I’m not somebody that’s angry about my approach to conservatism."

Larose is the third Republican to enter the race. State Sen. Matt Dolan and Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno have already announced.

2) Lawmakers go after drag in public places

A group of 43 House Republicans has signed onto a new bill that would restrict drag performances in public spaces.

House Bill 245 would expand the definition of adult cabaret performers from strippers and topless dancers to include "entertainers who exhibit a gender identity that is different from the performer's or entertainer's gender assigned at birth."

Republicans say it's about keeping children away from shows that should be for adults only, but LGBTQ groups believe the state's current obscenity laws protect against inappropriate shows and this bill perpetuates stereotypes about gay people.

3) AG Yost pushes back on Biden plan to shield health records

Ohio's Attorney General is pushing back on a Biden Administration plan to shield the medical records of people who cross state lines for abortions using federal health privacy laws.

Dave Yost and 17 other Republican attorneys general wrote a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services where they argued that adding abortion procedures into HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) could get in the way of sexual assault prosecutions.

“The federal government is trying to get rid of a provision that allows the release of health information to law enforcement pursuant to a court order," Yost spokeswoman Bethany McCorkle said. "This section is designed to help victims of crimes by allowing law enforcement to collect evidence − for example DNA from a rape kit − so that violent criminals can be arrested."

The Biden Administration says the new rule will strengthen patient-provider confidentiality and be used to prevent the prosecution of individuals and healthcare providers who assist with or perform "legal reproductive health care."

4) Poll: Majority of Ohioans oppose Issue 1

A majority of Ohioans don't support making it harder to amend the state's constitution, according to a poll released this week by Suffolk University and the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau.

Fifty-seven percent of those surveyed between July 9-12 said they oppose raising the threshold for citizen-passed changes from a simple majority of 50% plus one vote to 60%.

Support for Issue 1 was 26% and 17% were undecided. Early voting for the Aug. 8th special election is already underway.

Listen to "Ohio Politics Explained" on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts and TuneIn Radio. The episode is also available by clicking the link in this article.

The USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau serves The Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio politics podcast: Majority oppose Issue 1, drag ban bill drops