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On episode 125, Dan talks with obstetrician-gynecologist and State Rep. Anita Somani about abortion and reproductive rights, the impact anti-transgender legislation is poised to have on Ohio patients; and balancing life as a physician-legislator.\n\nSEGMENT TIMESTAMPS\n2:00: On being a physician and legislator\xa0\n5:30: The state budget and the stakes for social and economic policy\n8:45: Abortion and reproductive health care\xa0\n14:50: The hypocrisy of bills that hurt children and children\u2019s mental health while trumpeting support for child health\n17:59: \u201cWhat\u2019s behind these bills?\u201d\xa0\n19:56: The relationship between democratic responsiveness and health\xa0\n25:40: The wave of anti-transgender bills moving through the Statehouse: what Rep. Somani\u2019s experience can teach us.\n\nIn the interview, Rep. Somani talks about the Heartbeat Bill and current penalties for physicians who don\u2019t report abortions. Rep. Somani maintains, among other things,\xa0that Ohio\u2019s infant and maternal mortality rates have gone up in direct correlation with abortion restrictions.\xa0\nIn his 2023 State of the State address Gov. DeWine identified mental health and children\u2019s needs as a major priority. However, Rep. Somani talks about the inherent hypocrisy of the bills the Ohio General Assembly has introduced \u2014 specifically HB 6, the anti-trans sports bill, and HB 51, which loosens gun restrictions \u2014\xa0and the impact these bills will have on students\u2019 mental health.\xa0\nDan asks Rep. Somani about democratic responsiveness and the current assault on voting rights, including House Joint Resolution 1, which would raise the threshold needed to pass constitutional amendments on the ballot to 60%. In response, Rep. Somani reflects on the in-state support for reproductive rights and abortion rights, as demonstrated by groups collecting 7,000 signatures when they only needed 1,000 signatures to get the language certified to be on the ballot.\nRead more about Rep. Anita Somani in her bio. Check out a podcast produced by the Columbus Medical Association, in which Rep. Somani talks about her first few weeks at the Statehouse.\nNAME CHECKS / RELATED EPISODES\n\nRep. Somani gives a shoutout to podcasts, from which she gets her news despite her busy schedule, whether that\u2019s Apple News, The Daily, or local podcasts like Prognosis Ohio!\n\nDan mentions previous episodes on the COVID-19 public health emergency unwind and the current budget process, both of which are high stakes for health policy in Ohio\n\nIn talking about gerrymandering, Rep. Somani gives a special shoutout to Voters Not Politicians, Michigan\u2019s redistricting independent commission.\xa0\n\nDan mentions David Pepper, who was previously on the podcast to discuss democratic accountability, gerrymandering, and autocracy.\n\n\nSUPPORT WCBE and Prognosis Ohio!\nWCBE is currently in the midst of a fund drive. Please donate if you can! You can also support Prognosis Ohio through Patreon.\nHosted and produced by Dan Skinner. Engineering support provided by Mike Foley at WCBE. Copywriting and production support by Angela Lin. Prognosis Ohio is a member of the WCBE Podcast Experience and the Health Podcast Network. Prognosis Ohio is a production of Prognosis Ohio, LLC.