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ELECTION DAY IN OHIO: What You Need to Know About The #OHSEN Field’s Support for Banning Abortion

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. 

  • 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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On Election Eve, Frank LaRose’s Efforts To Silence, Mislead Ohioans And Ban Abortion Are Front and Center

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:

  • 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?”
  • 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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#OHSEN Slugfest – State Issue 1 Edition: Entire #OHSEN Field Supports Dangerous Abortion Bans

And The Infighting Escalates…

Columbus, OH – With four days left until Ohioans decide on State Issue 1, the entire primary field for Ohio’s Senate seat is making it clear they support dangerous abortion bans and won’t fight for Ohioans. And with less than 5 months until this slugfest comes to a close, the infighting is only escalating with more attacks, lies about State Issue 1, and even calls for resignations this week.

Here’s what you missed this week in what has already been called one of the “messiest, “most expensive” and “bruising” primary battles in the country. 

#OHSEN FIELD SUPPORTS DANGEROUS ABORTION BANS

As Ohioans vote to protect their reproductive rights, Frank LaRose, Bernie Moreno, and Matt Dolan have made it clear they support a national abortion ban. And make no mistake, by opposing the November amendment, the #OHSEN primary field supports upholding the current restrictive law in Ohio – which bans abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest. Here’s what you need to know:

Bernie 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. LaRose also said he supports Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s blockade of top military confirmations – saying Tuberville’s position is “the same position I would support in the Senate.”

Matt Dolan celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade, calling it “exciting.” Dolan has said defeating the November amendment is a “priority” and is open to supporting a national abortion ban

FRANK LAROSE PURPOSEFULLY SILENCING AND MISLEADING OHIOANS

It’s a day that ends in Y, which means Frank LaRose is once again trying to silence and mislead Ohioans. What you need to know about how LaRose and the No side has run a misinformation campaign every step of the way. 

  1. LaRose made himself the face of a $18 million August special election designed to silence Ohioans and benefit special interests and admitted it was “100%” about abortion.
  2. After LaRose’s amendment in August flopped, LaRose “twist[ed]” the abortion ballot language to intentionally mislead Ohioans. A recent report shows the “inaccurate and inflammatory” language could have a “big effect” on support for Issue 1.
  3. LaRose “quietly purged” nearly 27,000 of voters from Ohio’s voting system… leaving purged voters little-to-no time to re-register and cast their ballots by 11/7.  

Ohioans to Frank LaRose…

BERNIE SAID WHAT???

NBC yesterday published a must-read report on Bernie Moreno doubling down in support of dangerous abortion bans without exceptions for rape while spreading misinformation about State Issue 1. 

Bernie Moreno (falsely) on Issue 1: “It’s about having that girl be able to be raped and having a rapist force her to have an abortion — all without your consent — as a minor.”

Experts note Moreno’s claims are categorically false while Moreno makes it clear how out-of-step he is. 

THE INFIGHTING JUST GETS WORSE IN THIS SLUGFEST 

LaRose, who employees note is “laser-focused” on his Senate campaign and advancing his political ambitions, has been repeatedly accused of dropping the ball on his official Secretary of State duties and wasting taxpayer dollars to support his political ambitions. 

And Bernie Moreno is now joining Ohioans by calling out LaRose for his incompetence.  

This week, Moreno filed campaign paperwork with LaRose’s office, but noted he doesn’t trust LaRose’s ability to remain impartial and requested LaRose to recuse himself from the verification process. 

Can you blame him?

LaRose moved his official office to his campaign HQ – costing taxpayers $600,000, promoted his campaign in his official newsletter, and has been accused of making the impartial position “increasingly partisan” by former staffers. 

Moreno’s campaign also cited LaRose threatening Trump and took it one step further by calling on LaRose to resign…

A source close to the LaRose campaign: “If you are the president and you are fighting four legal battles, most of them centered around the validity of the election − and you’re most likely going to be on the general election ballot in a state you cannot win the White House without − are you going to do anything to antagonize the guy counting the votes?“

It’s clear this slugfest is only getting messier… 

WATCH MORE HERE:

WHILE YOU’RE EATING YOUR LEFTOVER HALLOWEEN CANDY…

Check out Disney’s Hocus Pocus Reimagined: The Senate Sisters Try To Make Ohioans’ Rights *Disappear*

SLUGFEST COUNTDOWN

138 days left until this Slugfest comes to a head and the infighting just keeps getting worse. 

WHAT OHIOANS ARE READING ABOUT THIS SLUGFEST

NBC News: Ohio GOP Senate candidate says ballot measure would let a rapist ‘force’ a woman to get an abortion

Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Senate 2024: Bernie Moreno doesn’t want Frank LaRose to touch his campaign paperwork

Ohio Capital Journal: Ohio GOP politicians have gone to extraordinary lengths to subvert and deceive on Issue 1

Cleveland.com: Ohio Republican U.S. Senate candidates back military action in Mexico, declaring cartels terrorists. How serious is that?

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Bernie Moreno on Frank LaRose’s costly office move: “When you don’t know how to negotiate and you’re spending $600,000 to move your office to save 11 grand a year, you’re not somebody who’s serious about cutting spending.”  

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Advocates and Experts Discuss State Issue 1, Importance of Protecting Reproductive Rights in 2024

As Ohioans Vote to Protect Their Reproductive Rights, Bernie Moreno, Frank LaRose, and Matt Dolan Support A National Abortion Ban

Columbus, OH – Today, Mini Timmaraju, President and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All, and Dr. Kale Turner, an Ohio OBGYN, discussed the importance of voting Yes on State Issue 1 and electing a U.S. Senator in 2024 who will protect Ohioans’ reproductive rights. The entire field running for Ohio’s Senate seat supports dangerous abortion bans and would overrule Ohioans if elected by voting for a federal ban.

“When abortion is on the ballot, abortion wins. But even if we secure victory, there’s another fight coming swiftly on the horizon,” said Mini Timmaraju, President and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All. “That’s because all of the Republican candidates running for U.S. Senate support dangerous abortion bans and would vote for a national ban that could overrule the protections Ohioans will secure next Tuesday.”

“Passing State Issue 1 is our chance to overturn Ohio’s dangerous ban and get politicians out of the doctors’ office,” said Dr. Kale Turner, an OBGYN based in Columbus. “But I want to be clear, our job isn’t over even if State Issue 1 passes. Because next year, whoever Ohioans elect as their next U.S. Senator could be the deciding vote on passing a national abortion ban – which would override Ohioans and be devastating for families across the country.”

The entire #OHSEN field supports dangerous abortion bans – including bans without exceptions for rape or incest – and have said they would overrule Ohioans by voting for a national ban if elected:

  • Matt Dolan celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade, calling it “exciting.” Dolan has said defeating the November amendment is a priority, and is open to supporting a national abortion ban.

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MUST READ: Bernie Moreno Doubles Down In Support Of Dangerous Abortion Bans Even in Cases of Rape

Columbus, OH – NBC News has the below must-read report on this interview where Bernie Moreno goes to new lengths to lie about Issue One and doubles down in support of dangerous abortion bans without exceptions, even in cases of rape. As Ohioans vote to protect their reproductive rights, the entire #OHSEN field opposes State Issue 1, supports dangerous abortion bans, and have said they would override Ohioans by voting for a national abortion ban if elected.

Read more: 

NBC News First Read:

NBC News: Ohio GOP Senate candidate says ballot measure would let a rapist ‘force’ a woman to get an abortion

Adam Edelman

November 2, 2023

  • Ohio Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno falsely claimed in a recent interview that Issue 1 — the ballot measure seeking to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution — would allow a rapist to “force” a woman to have an abortion.
  • Nonpartisan legal experts say his remarks are rife with inaccuracies and falsehoods.
  • Thomas explained that the claim that a woman’s rapist could somehow manipulate that law to force his victim to have an abortion is also false.
  • For months, groups and individuals opposed to Issue 1 have argued that the proposed amendment is intentionally worded to be interpreted to allow minors to obtain abortion care and undergo gender-affirming surgery without parental consent or notification. But, as NBC News reported in July, nonpartisan experts say those claims, too, are inaccurate and misleading. Reproductive rights advocates argue that they are misdirection designed to distract voters from protecting abortion rights — which polling in Ohio shows voters support.
  • Moreno campaign spokesperson Conor McGuinness said in a statement that Moreno was “proud to stand up in defense of parental consent,” and “Issue 1 clearly states that a third party who ‘assists’ a minor in getting an abortion will be protected.”
  • Issue 1 supporters argue that rejecting it would most likely have a harmful impact on rape victims seeking abortion care.
  • In a statement, Brown campaign manager Rachel Petri said, “All of Sherrod’s opponents want to make Ohio women’s personal health care decisions for them, and Bernie Moreno has made it clear he opposes all abortion exceptions, even in cases of rape.”

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