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Columbus, OH – Today, Ohio Democratic Party (ODP) Chair Elizabeth Walters hosted a media availability to celebrate passage of Issue One in Ohio, which prevents Ohio’s extreme 6-week abortion ban from taking effect and keeps private, personal medical decisions between a woman and her doctor.

“Last night, Ohio won a huge victory when we passed Issue One, protecting reproductive rights for millions of Ohio women and stopping Ohio’s extreme, six-week abortion ban in its tracks. It’s an important political victory, to be sure, but it’s also a victory for millions of women across the state for whom this issue was highly personal,” said Chair Walters. 

Ohio Democrats collected more than 117,000 signatures to get Issue One on the ballot this November. They also knocked on a total of 365,000 doors and made 600,000 phone calls to encourage Ohioans to vote for Issue One. 

Chair Walters also pointed to the important work ahead, as control of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House will run through Ohio. 

“We have our work cut out for us, but let me be clear: Ohio Democrats are more energized than ever. And as many times as we need to, we’re ready to tell these out-of-touch politicians: We won’t go back,” said Chair Walters.

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Columbus, OH – Today, Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters released the following statement to celebrate the passage of Issue One, a citizen-led ballot initiative to protect reproductive rights, stop Ohio’s extreme six-week abortion ban and keep politicians out of the personal, private medical decisions that should remain between a woman and her doctor. 

“Tonight was a great victory for women and families across the state. While corrupt, out-of-touch politicians once again tried to strip Ohioans of their fundamental rights, Ohio voters told these politicians that we won’t go back. For the second time this year, Ohioans sent a message loud and clear, and we hope that their elected officials will finally listen.

“At the same time, our work is far from over. Control of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House will undoubtedly run through Ohio, and we must make sure that every Republican who supports a national abortion ban, from Bernie Moreno, Frank LaRose, and Matt Dolan on down, cannot overturn the will of Ohio voters in Congress. We also have to flip the Ohio Supreme Court and win key state legislative races next year. Tonight’s results only raise the stakes of 2024 and we’re ready to tell any politician in Ohio who will inevitably try to take away our reproductive rights again: we won’t go back” 

Ohio Democrats collected more than 117,000 signatures to get Issue One on the ballot this November. They also knocked on a total of 350,000 doors and made 600,000 phone calls to encourage Ohioans to vote for Issue One. 

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Ohioans Voting To Protect Abortion Access Today

Columbus, OH – Read and watch Mini Timmaraju, President and CEO of Reproductive Freedom For All, and Alex Wagner call out Frank LaRose and Bernie Moreno for intentionally trying to mislead Ohioans while doubling down in support of dangerous abortion bans. 

MSNBC: Mini Timmaraju Discusses State Issue 1 and Frank LaRose, Bernie Moreno Trying to Ban Abortion

Mini Timmaraju: “They are so desperate and worried about losing, as I said before they’re lying.” 

Mini Timmaraju: “The majority of folks in Ohio support abortion access, but when it looks like we’re winning…folks like Frank LaRose and Mike DeWine pull out every trick in their book to basically try to change the rules.” 

Alex Wagner: “The chicanery is off the charts.” 

Alex Wagner on Bernie Moreno lying about State Issue 1, doubling down in support of dangerous abortion bans: “So nefarious, far-fetched, and largely unsupported by any facts.”

Alex Wagner: “[LaRose], the Secretary of State, purged 26,000 voters from the Ohio voting rolls two weeks before voter registration ends. If you can’t win, just make sure they can’t vote.”  

Salon: Ohio voters finally get a chance to overturn dangerous abortion ban

Mini Timmaraju

November 5, 2023 

• Voters in the Buckeye State will weigh in on Issue 1 next week… If approved, the measure will block the state’s dangerous six-week abortion ban, passed by the GOP-led state legislature and currently blocked by the courts.. On Tuesday, the voters can put people—not politicians—back in charge of their own decisions about their bodies and families.

• Polls show that 8 in 10 Americans believe in legal abortion, and we know that, given the chance, voters overwhelmingly vote to protect their freedoms at the ballot box. But that hasn’t changed what we’re up against.

• In state after state, voters must overcome dirty tricks and dishonest politicians who simply cheat when confronted with the reality that the public doesn’t support their dangerous anti-abortion agenda.

• There is perhaps no better example than Ohio, where Republican Frank LaRose, the current secretary of state also running for U.S. Senate, has made it clear he will do whatever it takes to support his own political ambitions—no matter the cost. He has left no stone unturned in his attempts to trick and silence voters.

• LaRose used his official position to rewrite the language Ohioans will see when they vote on Issue 1 this November and cram in anti-abortion disinformation meant to muddy the waters. It is yet another blatant attempt to silence and trick voters and block an effort that more than 700,000 Ohioans signed on to support.

• But LaRose, much like his colleagues across the Republican Party, does not care what his constituents want. He doesn’t care about their health and well-being. After all, he has already promised to support a national abortion ban if elected to the Senate, regardless of how Ohioans vote this November.

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Columbus, OH – Today, Ohioans will vote on a ballot amendment to protect reproductive rights and overturn the state’s current dangerous abortion ban. As they head to the polls, here’s what Ohioans need to know about State Issue 1, the #OHSEN field’s support for banning abortion, and Frank LaRose’s efforts to silence and “intentionally mislead” Ohioans. 

1. Voting Yes on Issue 1 would stop Ohio’s current dangerous abortion ban and put Ohio women – not politicians – back in charge of their personal health care decisions. 

2. The entire #OHSEN field supports dangerous abortion bans, including bans with no exceptions for rape or incest, and would vote for a national abortion ban in the Senate. 

• At his campaign launch, Bernie Moreno said he is “unequivocally pro-life.” Moreno supports a national abortion ban and does not support exceptions for rape, incest, or life of the mother.

• Frank LaRose supports a national abortion ban, opposes exceptions for rape or incest, and celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

• Matt Dolan celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade, calling it “exciting.” Dolan said defeating the November amendment – which would uphold Ohio’s current dangerous abortion ban without exceptions – is a “priority.”

3. Frank LaRose has played a leading role in intentionally silencing and misleading Ohioans to ban abortion.

• First, LaRose made himself the face of August’s State Issue 1, an amendment designed to silence Ohioans and benefit special interests, which cost Ohio taxpayers $18 million.

• After his August amendment flopped, LaRose rewrote the ballot language for the November amendment to “intentionally mislead” and confuse Ohioans. Recent polls show that LaRose’s language has a measurable impact on support for State Issue 1 when compared to the original ballot language and could be “critical” to the outcome despite a majority of Ohioans supporting abortion rights.

The original ballot language supported by more than 700,000 Ohioans:

LaRose’s “inaccurate and inflammatory” ballot language: 

• In a last ditch effort, LaRose “quietly purged” nearly 27,000 Ohio voters from the voting rolls ahead of the November election – leaving voters little-to-no time to re-register and cast their ballots today.

WATCH MORE FROM WCMH HERE:

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Frank LaRose “Has Demonstrated He Will Stop At Nothing To Keep Ohio Women From Making Their Own Private Medical Decisions” 

Columbus, OH –  Tomorrow, Ohioans will decide on an amendment to protect reproductive rights and overturn the state’s current abortion ban and Frank LaRose’s efforts to intentionally silence and mislead Ohioans to ban abortion are front and center. 

First, LaRose made himself the face of August’s State Issue 1, costing taxpayers $18 million to move the goalposts ahead of the November election and admitting August’s State Issue 1 was “100%” about abortion. When that failed, LaRose rewrote the ballot language for the abortion amendment to “intentionally mislead” and confuse Ohioans. Then, LaRose “quietly purged” thousands of voters ahead of the November election, leaving purged voters little-to-no time to re-register and cast their ballots. 

On Election Eve, here’s what Ohioans are watching about LaRose’s attempts to ban abortion in Ohio: 

WATCH HERE: LaRose Supports National Abortion Ban

Frank LaRose: “I’m pro-life and if a pro-life measure comes before the Senate, then I would vote as a pro-life American.”

On Election Eve, here’s what Ohioans are reading about LaRose’s attempts to ban abortion in Ohio: 

• WVXU: “Now, the Republican majority of his five-member Ohio Ballot Board — chaired by LaRose and tasked with the job of approving ballot language — stands accused of trying to stack the deck against the abortion rights amendment by inserting what abortion rights groups call misleading, inaccurate and inflammatory language into what should be a simple statement of fact.”

• Huffington Post: “Republicans in Ohio are still trying to pass their anti-choice agenda, even after voters in the state successfully thwarted a ballot initiative earlier this month that would have made it harder to pass a pro-choice constitutional amendment this fall… led by anti-choice advocate and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, on Thursday approved anti-choice language to be used in the initiative, which may confuse voters. The approved summary language uses “unborn child” instead of “fetus.” It does not include any language about the right to make decisions about miscarriages, fertility treatments or contraception — even though that’s a significant part of the proposed amendment.”

• The New York Times: “But that language does not appear on the ballot. Instead, voters see a summary from the Secretary of State, Frank LaRose, a Republican who opposes abortion and pushed the August ballot measure to try to thwart the abortion rights amendment. That summary turns the provision on viability on its head, saying the amendment ‘would always allow an unborn child to be aborted at any stage of pregnancy, regardless of viability.’”

• TIME: “Put simply: the way the question is appearing on the ballot could thwart the efforts to keep abortion legal in Ohio.”

• The Guardian: “Voting rights advocates say the process lacked transparency and departed from Frank LaRose’s usual practice of alerting groups before removing registrations from the rolls. And it comes as LaRose campaigns hard against the 7 November constitutional amendment vote – when Ohio voters will decide whether to enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution – as well as a vote on a separate measure to legalize marijuana.”

• Ohio Capital Journal: “Ohio Democrats criticize LaRose for squeezing removals between an August vote on an issue he favored and a November election with an issue he opposes.”

• Heartland Signal: Ohio Secretary of State LaRose purges almost 27,000 voters from rolls right before reproductive rights vote

On Election Eve, here’s what Ohioans are saying about LaRose’s attempts to ban abortion in Ohio:

• Marilou Johanek, Ohio Capital Journal: “LaRose has demonstrated he will stop at nothing to keep Ohio women from making their own private medical decisions.”

• Cleveland.com Editorial Board: “The issue’s supporters say the Ballot Board summary is intentionally misleading and fails to meet the standards required by Ohio law. At the least, it’s an attempt by LaRose to have his thumb on the scale of fairness – again.”

• Cleveland.com Editorial Board: “Explanations from LaRose’s office citing federal deadlines don’t quite add up….Frank LaRose’s decision…raises red flags.”

• The Chronicle Telegram Editorial Board: “Frank LaRose and his fellow Republicans on the Ohio Ballot Board are up to their old tricks again, massaging ballot language for political advantage.”

• Veronica Strevel, Ohio Veteran: “But then − in a slap in the face to all Ohioans, let alone the hundreds of thousands of Ohioans who signed on to that language − LaRose abused his elected office by recently rewriting the language voters will see when they enter the voting booth this November.”

• Angie Charles, Stow: “[LaRose] dove deep into their bag of tricks in their attempt to sway votes for an unpopular amendment to the state constitution in August. They failed. They’re going to reach even deeper into that soiled bag to defeat Issue 1, the reproductive rights amendment, in November.”

• Joy Bennett, Mason: “LaRose’s attempt to deceive us by changing the abortion amendment’s ballot language is disgraceful. He’s abusing his position as secretary of state to overrule us. What will stop him from doing the same as senator?”

• Toba Feldman, Columbus: “Stop the games. Run a fair election and debate the facts not the fear.”

• Bethany Double, Farmdale: “LaRose is using his role as Ohio Secretary of State to push his own agenda, and he will do the same if he is elected to the U.S. Senate. We cannot forget he has openly voiced his support for a national abortion ban. He does not care what Ohioans want and would override us if he goes to the Senate.”

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