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Frank LaRose “Dove Deep Into [His] Bag of Tricks” to Mislead and Overrule Ohioans… Again

LaRose Rewrote November Amendment Using “Inaccurate and Inflammatory”Language After Voters Rejected His Efforts to Silence Their Voices

LaRose – Who Is Running for Senate – Supports A National Abortion Ban 

Columbus, OH –  The “twisted” and “intentionally misleading” language that Frank LaRose wrote to silence Ohioans and make it harder for voters to protect abortion rights will appear on ballots this November. 

Since putting himself at the center of the failed August amendment and rewriting the November abortion ballot language, LaRose has been called out by Ohioans for “diving deep into [his] bag of tricks” and using his position as Secretary of State to silence and overrule Ohioans and push his own political ambitions. 

Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Brunner: “Simply put, [LaRose] may express his opinion about the amendment when he casts his vote on election day, just like every other Ohioan.” 

LaRose has already said that if the November amendment passes, he would again overrule the majority of Ohioans who support protecting reproductive rights by voting for a national abortion ban if elected to the Senate.

“If Frank LaRose cared about respecting the will of Ohioans, he would not try to intentionally mislead them with confusing and inaccurate ballot language, and he wouldn’t promise to impose a national abortion ban voters don’t support,” said ODP spokesperson Reeves Oyster. “Frank LaRose isn’t working for Ohioans and has proved he’ll do whatever it takes to support his own political ambitions.”

Read / Watch More:

Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Supreme Court orders tweak of abortion ballot language, most GOP words will remain

Jessie Balmert

September 19, 2023

  • The Ohio Supreme Court ordered the Ohio Ballot Board to reword a portion of its ballot language for an abortion rights amendment, but the majority of the GOP-written wording will remain in place.
  • “We conclude that the term ‘citizens of the State’ is misleading in that it suggests to the average voter that the proposed amendment would restrict the actions of individual citizens instead of the government,” according to the court’s decision.
  • But the court won’t order the board to change other phrases that the ballot campaign Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights argued were “intentionally misleading.” For example, the proposed constitutional amendment would protect access to miscarriage care, contraception and fertility treatment, but the GOP language focused solely on abortion. Republicans also substituted “unborn child” for “fetus.”
  • Justice Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat, wrote: “(Republicans on the Ohio Ballot Board) obfuscated the actual language of the proposed state constitutional amendment by substituting their own language and creating out of whole cloth a veil of deceit and bias in their desire to impose their views on Ohio voters about what they think is the substance of the proposed amendment.”
  • Brunner criticized LaRose and fellow Republican ballot board member Sen. Theresa Gavarone for expressing their opposition to the abortion rights amendment through their ballot board roles: “Simply put, the chair of the board may express his opinion about the amendment when he casts his vote on election day, just like every other Ohioan,” Brunner wrote of LaRose.

NBC News: Ohio Supreme Court rules ‘unborn child’ wording can remain in abortion ballot language

Megan Lebowitz and Inyoung Choi

September 19, 2023

  • The Ohio Supreme Court handed a partial victory to the state’s GOP-controlled ballot board on Tuesday, ruling that the term “unborn child” can remain in the ballot language for a November vote on whether to enshrine abortion protections in the state’s constitution.
  • The court sided with the petitioners in a narrower aspect of the ballot board’s contested language, agreeing that the language “citizens of the State” was misleading.
  • “Issue 1 is clearly and concisely written to protect Ohioans’ right to make our own personal health care decisions about contraception, pregnancy, and abortion, free from government interference,” Lauren Blauvelt said. “The actual amendment language communicates that right clearly and without distortion.”
  • Ohio’s Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who oversees the ballot board, has publicly opposed the abortion rights amendment that will be put to voters in November.

Cincinnati Enquirer: Political stunts prove LaRose not working for most Ohioans

Veronica Strevel

September 19, 2023

  • Frank LaRose has made one thing abundantly clear over the past six months: He’s not working for the majority of Ohioans.
  • First, it was Issue 1 in August. LaRose put himself squarely behind this amendment and became the chief campaigner for an effort designed to benefit special interests and silence Ohioans by essentially killing any possibility of citizen-led ballot initiatives passing in Ohio.
  • 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.
  • LaRose’s language is longer, more confusing, and includes medically inaccurate language. Make no mistake: It’s a brazen attempt by LaRose to silence Ohioans again by making it harder for this amendment to pass, even when public polling shows a majority of Ohioans support the heart of the amendment.
  • And worst of all, LaRose has already promised to overrule Ohioans if we protect reproductive rights this fall and he is elected to the Senate by voting for a national abortion ban.
  • LaRose’s actions have made it abundantly clear he’s not working for us. He’s trying to get ahead and help himself and his political career − and he doesn’t care who stands in his way. LaRose will be remembered by his actions this August and November and who he fought for. One thing is clear: It’s not Ohioans.

Cleveland.com: Vote ‘yes’ for Issue 1 on Nov. 7

Angie Charles

September 15, 2023

  • The conservatives 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.
  • Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who chairs the Ohio Ballot Board, created deceitful language for the amendment on the ballot.
  • Ohio won’t fall for it. The amendment protects the freedom of individuals and families to make their own reproductive health care decisions. It trusts that citizens, not the state, are in the best position to make those decisions.
  • The extremists on the right have preached about their commitment to individual freedom for decades. Now we find out that they were misleading us.

The Vindicator: Don’t let LaRose silence Ohioans in the US Senate

Bethany Double, Farmdale

September 17, 2023

  • Secretary of State Frank LaRose does not care about the people of Ohio. He spearheaded the August special election to make it harder to pass the abortion amendment in November — and he failed. Ohioans used their right to vote to share their opinions, but LaRose doesn’t care.
  • He rewrote the ballot language for the abortion amendment in an attempt to confuse and trick voters. Shame on him. 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.
  • Shame on LaRose for silencing Ohioans. We can’t let him get away with this in November.

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Frank LaRose “Intentionally Misleading” Ohioans, Trying to Overrule Voters 

LaRose Rewrote Amendment Using “Inaccurate and Inflammatory”Language After Voters Rejected His Efforts to Silence Their Voice

LaRose – Who Is Running for Senate – Supports A National Abortion Ban 

Columbus, OH – The “twisted” and “intentionally misleading” language that Frank LaRose wrote to silence Ohioans and make it harder for voters to protect abortion rights will appear on ballots this November.

LaRose – who has been called out for “hav[ing] his thumb on the scale of fairness” – has already said that if the November amendment passes, he would again overrule the majority of Ohioans who support protecting reproductive rights by voting for a national abortion ban if elected to the Senate.

“If Frank LaRose cared about respecting the will of Ohioans, he would not try to intentionally mislead them with confusing and inaccurate ballot language, and he wouldn’t promise to impose a national abortion ban voters don’t support,” said ODP spokesperson Reeves Oyster. “Frank LaRose isn’t working for Ohioans and has proved he’ll do whatever it takes to support his own political ambitions.”

Read and watch more on LaRose’s efforts to mislead and overrule Ohioans:

WATCH HERE: FRANK LAROSE SUPPORTS NATIONAL ABORTION BAN

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

Cleveland.com: Editorial: LaRose’s “Loaded Language” An Attempt To “Have His Thumb On The Scale” 

Editorial Board

September 8, 2023

  • Republicans on the Ballot Board, led by Secretary of State Frank LaRose made the changes last month, inserting phrases that backers of the abortion rights amendment – formally known as The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety amendment — say amount to propaganda.
  • 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. That behavior was on full display ahead of the August vote on a proposed constitutional amendment that would have made it harder, if not impossible, for citizens to amend their state constitution.
  • Ohio voters saw through that deception, trouncing that Issue 1 at the polls. LaRose was clear that he had viewed the issue as a way to thwart attempts to enshrine abortion rights. A candidate for the U.S. Senate, he sought donations totaling millions of dollars from his GOP Senate rivals in support of the issue.
  • In his Senate campaign materials now, LaRose touts his anti-abortion stance as part of his platform, bragging that he is the only candidate with a 100% voting record against abortion rights. That’s why it’s no surprise loaded language was inserted into the summary for November’s Issue 1 on abortion and reproductive rights.

Huffington Post: Ohio Republicans Twist Ballot Language For Pro-Choice Provision In Likely Attempt To Confuse Voters

Alanna Vagianos

August 25, 2023

  • In November, voters will consider a ballot initiative that seeks to enshrine abortion rights and other reproductive freedoms into Ohio’s Constitution. But the five-member Ohio Ballot Board, 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.
  • “Secretary of State Frank LaRose today exploited the Ohio Ballot Board process in a last-ditch effort to deceive and confuse Ohio voters ahead of the November vote on reproductive freedom,” Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights, one of the main groups advocating for the amendment, said in a press release on Thursday.
  • LaRose gave the deciding vote to approve the language in a 3-2 final vote. The Ohio secretary of state was a vocal advocate for the August ballot measure, Issue 1 ― an initiative to raise the threshold for altering the state constitution from a simple statewide majority vote to 60%. Although a simple majority has been the standard in Ohio for over 100 years, anti-abortion advocates in the state called for a special election to raise the vote threshold in a preemptive attempt to block the pro-choice constitutional amendment.

WVXU: “Left With Egg on His Face,” LaRose Okayed “Misleading, Inaccurate” Ballot Language 

Howard Wilkinson

August 30, 2023

  • In the Aug. 8 special election, Frank LaRose, Ohio’s Republican secretary of state, was told in no uncertain terms that voters had no use for his plan to raise the bar for passing constitutional amendments to 60%.
  • Issue 1 failed miserably; and was clearly aimed at making it harder for abortion rights advocates to pass the reproductive rights amendment on the November ballot, which would write access to abortion into the Ohio Constitution.
  • LaRose was left with egg on his face.
  • But the secretary of state/U.S. Senate candidate wasn’t done.
  • 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.

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Six Months Out, Ohio Senate Slugfest Just Getting Messier

Columbus, OH –  The 2024 primary is six months away and Ohio’s Senate Slugfest just keeps getting messier and more divisive. As the infighting escalates, it’s clear whoever emerges from this bruising fight will be badly damaged in the eyes of Ohioans headed into the general election.

Here’s what you need to know about the #OHSEN Slugfest, which has already been called one of the “messiest,” “most expensive,” and “bruising” primary battles in the country: 

  • Matt Dolan is a mega millionaire who is using a “cheap loan” with a too-good-to-be-true interest rate only available to “wealthy politicians” to bankroll his Senate campaign. Dolan, who self-funded his last Senate campaign, has already loaned himself $4 million this cycle. Despite his enormous wealth, Dolan broke his pledge to use his PAC to support GOP candidates and is instead using it to funnel money to his campaign consultants. Dolan has also made critical comments of President Trump and his primary opponents, claiming whoever Trump endorses in the race will eventually lose.
  • All three GOP candidates oppose the November amendment to protect reproductive rights and support dangerous abortion bans, including bans with no exceptions for rape or incest.

What Ohioans are reading about the #OHSEN Slugfest: 

  • Daily Beast: Ohio Is Shaping Up to Be the Messiest Senate Primary of 2024
  • J.D. Vance: “We’re going to have a very brutal primary in the state of Ohio, just like we did in 2022.”
  • NBC: “Ohio’s Senate race next year is expected to be one of the most expensive in the country. It will start with what already has the makings of a messy, Trump-influenced primary…”
  • Sabato’s Crystal Ball: “We wouldn’t describe any of the potential Republican Senate nominees in Ohio as slam dunk candidate…”
  • The Messenger: Another competitive and expensive GOP primary is brewing in the Buckeye State

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“A Slap in the Face:” Frank LaRose Not Working for Ohioans

Columbus, OH –  Over the last six months, Frank LaRose has proved he’s not working for Ohioans. After putting himself at the center of the failed August special election and rewriting the November abortion ballot language to “intentionally mislead” voters, LaRose is being called out for confusing and silencing Ohioans. Now, LaRose is being slammed again for putting his political ambitions first and promising to overrule Ohioans by voting for a national abortion ban even if the November amendment passes. 

Cincinnati Enquirer: Political stunts prove LaRose not working for most Ohioans 

By Veronica Strevel

September 19, 2023

  • Frank LaRose has made one thing abundantly clear over the past six months: He’s not working for the majority of Ohioans.
  • First, it was Issue 1 in August. LaRose put himself squarely behind this amendment and became the chief campaigner for an effort designed to benefit special interests and silence Ohioans by essentially killing any possibility of citizen-led ballot initiatives passing in Ohio.
  • He lost. Resoundingly. You’d think LaRose would have taken the hint the first time around, but he clearly doesn’t care and isn’t listening.
  • 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.
  • And worst of all, LaRose has already promised to overrule Ohioans if we protect reproductive rights this fall and he is elected to the Senate by voting for a national abortion ban.
  • LaRose’s actions have made it abundantly clear he’s not working for us. He’s trying to get ahead and help himself and his political career − and he doesn’t care who stands in his way. LaRose will be remembered by his actions this August and November and who he fought for. One thing is clear: It’s not Ohioans.
  • LaRose won’t be able to outrun his disregard for the voters he should be working for. He would be wise to remember that we deserve to be respected and heard.

See also: What Ohioans Are Saying: “Shame On LaRose for Silencing Ohioans”; ICYMI: “Ethics Red Flags” Go Up as Frank LaRose’s “Ability to Do that Job Impartially Has Been Called into Question” [Ohio Capital Journal]; One Year After National Abortion Ban Introduced, Here’s A Reminder That #OHSEN Field Supports Abortion Bans; Frank LaRose Called Out for Putting “Thumb on the Scale of Fairness – Again” After Rewriting November Ballot Language; Shot, Chaser, Lime: Frank LaRose Tries to Silence, Overrule Ohioans *Again*; Frank LaRose Slammed for “Trying to Stack the Deck” Against Ohioans; Frank LaRose “Twists” Ballot Language to “Confuse,” “Deceive” Ohioans

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What Ohioans Are Saying: “Shame On LaRose for Silencing Ohioans”

Columbus, OH –  Since putting himself at the center of the failed August special election and rewriting the November abortion ballot language, LaRose has been called out by Ohioans for misleading and silencing Ohioans ahead of the November election. Now, LaRose is being slammed for his promise to overrule Ohioans and vote for a national abortion ban even if the November amendment passes. 

The Vindicator: Don’t let LaRose silence Ohioans in the US Senate

Bethany Double, Farmdale

September 17, 2023

  • Secretary of State Frank LaRose does not care about the people of Ohio. He spearheaded the August special election to make it harder to pass the abortion amendment in November — and he failed. Ohioans used their right to vote to share their opinions, but LaRose doesn’t care.
  • He rewrote the ballot language for the abortion amendment in an attempt to confuse and trick voters. Shame on him. 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.
  • Shame on LaRose for silencing Ohioans. We can’t let him get away with this in November.

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