New federal gun regulations went into effect this week. Secretary of State Frank LaRose raised money for a group that could end up supporting his bid for the U.S. Senate, and a former speaker of the Ohio House wants to be considered a crime victim.
We break down what it all means on this week’s episode of Ohio Politics Explained. A podcast created by the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau to get you up to speed on the state’s political news in 15 minutes or less.
This week, anchor Anna Staver was joined by reporter Haley BeMiller.
1) New rules for old weapons
On June 1, a federal regulation for handguns went into effect, requiring owners to permanently remove the device, register it with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms or possibly s ‘face federal charges.
The Biden administration pushed to reclassify weapons with these attachments as short-barreled rifles because the slings allow shooters to hold the weapons on their shoulders when firing.
The ATF has been tracking ownership of short-barreled rifles since the 1930s “because they are more easily concealable than long-barreled rifles, but they have more destructive power than traditional guns.” Handgun weapons were used in the 2019 Dayton shooting and the recent mass shooting at a school in Nashville.
Gun advocacy groups, however, say the devices were designed to help wounded veterans fire their guns, and retroactively reclassifying those firearms is unconstitutional.
2) Electoral integrity fund
The Leadership Fund for Ohio is raising money for election integrity purposes, but may soon donate to another cause: the election of Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose to the U.S. Senate.
The fund is currently set up as a 527, meaning it can advocate for issues, not candidates. But the group could register with the Federal Election Commission when LaRose enters the Republican primary race and then transfer its funds to a super PAC.
How likely is this to happen? Messages obtained by USA TODAY Network’s Ohio bureau showed LaRose pitching himself as a candidate and the LRO fund in a voicemail to a Republican donor. And at least one potential donor received a follow-up email from the fund saying he wanted to “tell Frank’s ‘Ohio story.’
Democrats say this is a way for LaRose to raise a bunch of dark money, while the secretary’s supporters say his fundraising efforts on behalf of LFO are completely legal and above all else.
3) Larry Householder’s sentencing speeches
One of the remaining questions as we approach former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder’s sentencing on federal racketeering charges is who will speak.
The family man, who was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Prosecutors said Householder used $61 million in bribes to seize political power and pass a law to bail out two nuclear power plants. In his sentence, the judge who decides his destination will hear statements from lawyers for Householders and their victims.
But who are the victims in this case? Well, former Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger says he qualifies.
He says Householder and his co-conspirator, lobbyist Neil Clark, tricked the FBI into launching an investigation into Rosenberger that damaged his reputation and led to his resignation. Charges were never filed against Rosenberger.
4) Debt limit vote
All 15 members of Ohio’s congressional delegation voted in favor of a bill to raise the debt ceiling and cut spending.
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, voiced strong support for the measure at a news conference Wednesday, calling it a change in precedent.
“In the last decade, the debt ceiling has been raised nine times,” Jordan said. “None of these debt ceiling increases reduced spending year over year. This is the first one to do that.”
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USA TODAY Network’s Ohio bureau serves The Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 affiliated news organizations throughout Ohio.
