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Columbus, OH – Today, Ohio Democratic Party Veterans and Military Community Caucus Chair Connie Pillich released the following statement to mark the one-year anniversary of passage of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act.

“Thanks to the leadership of Ohio Democrats like Sherrod Brown, Marcy Kaptur, Joyce Beatty and Shontel Brown, Ohio veterans who suffer from toxic exposure now have access to the critical healthcare and benefits they deserve. Ohio servicemembers put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe, and we must make sure they’re taken care of when they return home. The PACT Act is an important reminder of the debt we owe our men and women in uniform, and I’m proud that Ohio Democrats led the charge to get this bill passed,” said Pillich. 

The PACT Act provides benefits and healthcare to veterans who suffer from toxic exposure due to exposure to burn pits or other toxic substances. Ohioans can visit www.va.gov/pact to find out more and claim benefits. 

Thanks to the work of Senator Sherrod Brown, the PACT Act is named in honor of Ohio veteran Heath Robinson, who passed away from lung cancer after being exposed to toxic burn pits. 

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The day after Issue 1’s defeat, LaRose promises to vote for national abortion ban if elected to Senate – regardless of what Ohioans want

Columbus, OH – Frank LaRose is doubling down the day after being named the biggest loser of State Issue 1, pledging to support a national abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest if elected to the Senate.
 
LaRose also admits that, if elected to the Senate, he would ignore and even overturn the will of Ohioans who support protecting abortion access. 
 
LaRose’s admission follows Ohio voters resoundingly rejecting his amendment this week that would have benefitted special interests and silenced Ohioans. Ohioans will also vote on a constitutional amendment to protect abortion rights this November, with recent polls showing 58% of Ohioans support protecting reproductive rights. Regardless of the results in November, LaRose plans to pursue a national ban. 

WATCH HERE

Chuck Todd: “You’re running for the U.S. Senate, you’re going to be asked this question about federal standards on access to abortion. Do you think there should be a federal minimum put into place or not?”
 
Frank LaRose: “You know, I think that the Supreme Court decision pushing this down to the states is a reasonable approach for now. 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.”
 
Todd: “What does that mean? Look, a lot of people say they’re pro-life, but they’re for 15 weeks. Some people say pro-life they’re for eight weeks, the heartbeat bill, things like that. Can you give me some specifics? What’s your definition of pro-life?”
 
LaRose: “Yeah, as you know, any legislative body, it’s got to be a product of people working together to find where they can reach a majority on that. And then the Senate sometimes that’s a 60% majority back to super majorities, by the way. But you know, I’ve voted for the heartbeat bill in Ohio, for example, which I think is a, is a good standard. I personally believe that life begins at conception. But I understand that, you know, there’s perhaps room to negotiate on that. Pain capable is one standard that some people have looked at, we have a bill like that in Ohio.”

The Messenger: “The biggest loser in the fight over this issue is Secretary of State Frank LaRose”

Ohioans rejected Frank LaRose’s amendment yesterday and LaRose’s close ties to State Issue 1 continue to backfire on him, suffocating his Senate campaign before it even started. 
 
Here’s what Ohioans are reading and watching about Frank LaRose’s “significant loss:”
 
WVXU: Commentary: Ohio’s GOP just learned voters are not as gullible as they think
Howard Wilkinson
August 8, 2023

• Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman, who wanted this more than anything to try to squelch the reproductive rights amendment on the November ballot, and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, the cheerleader-in-chief for Issue 1, are the ones chiefly responsible for this GOP disaster.
• LaRose and Huffman bit off more than they could chew.
• LaRose, the most enthusiastic supporter of Issue 1 among Ohio Republican elected officials, made the job of hiding the abortion rights connection that much harder when he was caught on video at a Seneca County Republican Party event saying that Issue 1 was “100%” about keeping abortion rights groups’ hands off the Ohio constitution.
• LaRose wasted a lot of time trying to explain what he meant, but no one seemed to be listening and that short video clip became the centerpiece of the “No on 1” TV ad campaign. 

WSYX: Proposed constitutional change Issue 1 rejected by Ohio voters
August 8, 2023

• Ohioans rejected a proposed constitutional amendment to increase the threshold for future changes.
• Earlier in the day, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose was set to vote and hold media availability but suddenly canceled.

Washington Post: 4 takeaways from rejection of Issue 1 in the Ohio special election
Aaron Blake
August 8, 2023

• At the top of the list of the biggest losers Tuesday was Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R), who made himself the face of the initiative and is now running for Senate to unseat Sen. Sherrod Brown (D). LaRose appeared to want to burnish his conservative bona fides — and perhaps GOP voters will give him credit for trying — but a primary opponent has already been attacking him for alleged strategic failures.

The Messenger: Ohio Voters Reject GOP Initiative Seen As Proxy Vote on Abortion
Matt Holt, Dan Merica
August 8, 2023

• The biggest loser in the fight over this issue is Secretary of State Frank LaRose.
• LaRose, a Republican, made himself the face of the “yes” campaign, crisscrossing the state to urge voters to back the issue and centering is newly launched Senate campaign on the issue.
• “This is 100% about keeping a radical pro-abortion amendment out of our constitution. The left wants to jam it in there this coming November,” LaRose said in June.
• That comment from LaRose proved to be a rallying cry for Democrats and those who were opposed to Issue 1. Last week, LaRose issued an ultimatum to his GOP primary opponents to spend $1 million in support of the effort, which was quickly criticized by Bernie Moreno, a former car dealership owner who dropped out of the 2022 Senate primary and is endorsed by Vance. 
• “The implosion of Issue 1 could be extremely detrimental to LaRose’s fundraising,” said a Republican strategist working in Senate races. “He made himself the face of this issue and then it went down in brutal fashion.”

Huffington Post: Ohio Voters Take First Crucial Step To Protect Abortion Rights Ahead Of November Vote
Alanna Vagianos
August 8, 2023

• Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, an outspoken anti-choice leader, was one of several Republicans who attempted to hide the real intent of Issue 1. He told the Washington Examiner last month that Issue 1 has “never been exclusively about abortion.” But as feminist writer Jessica Valenti pointed out, LaRose said earlier in the summer that Issue 1 “is 100% about keeping a radical pro-abortion amendment out of our constitution.

WBNS: “Last night’s rejection of Issue 1 not only was a blow to the Republican-controlled Statehouse, it was also a blow to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose who campaigned heavily in favor of Issue 1.
 

MSNBC: Frank LaRose “has been leading the charge” for State Issue 1, “his office will get blamed” for any problems, LaRose “tied inextricably” to issue, “a loss for his Senate campaign right out of the gate.”

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Ohio Democratic Party spokesperson Reeves Oyster released the following statement in response to Ohio voters rejecting Frank LaRose at the ballot box today by voting No on State Issue 1: 
 
“Frank LaRose is officially Ohio’s biggest loser.”
 
Here’s what you need to know about Frank LaRose and State Issue 1:

• LaRose hurt himself by intentionally becoming “the face of” State Issue 1 – an effort designed to help special interests while silencing the Ohioans he’s supposed to be working for. 
   
• LaRose made significant missteps in the process – including sending the wrong ballot language out to voters days before the absentee ballot deadline, sending the wrong election date to poll workers, and admitting that State Issue 1 is “100%” about abortion. LaRose’s mistake “frustrated” Republicans who have said that the messaging around State Issue 1 was “horrific.” 
   
• LaRose has already been criticized by his primary opponents for mishandling State Issue 1 and putting his political ambitions ahead of his job. In a “hail mary pass” last week, LaRose tried to run for cover by pulling his primary opponents closer to State Issue 1 but was not able to escape becoming Ohio’s biggest loser. 
   
• LaRose put “his whole political career on the line” for State Issue 1 – killing his Senate campaign before it even started. LaRose owns Issue 1’s failure, which pundits warned would be a “blow to [his] political capital” that would hurt him and give his opponents more fodder to make him a loser.

Ohioans to decide on LaRose’s amendment today

Ohioans will decide on Frank LaRose’s amendment today and LaRose’s close ties to State Issue 1 continue to backfire on him and suffocate his Senate campaign.
 
“No matter the outcome, Frank LaRose made himself the biggest loser and is now the face of an effort designed to help special interests and silence Ohioans,” said Reeves Oyster, Ohio Democratic Party spokesperson.
 
Here’s what you need to know about Frank LaRose and his close ties to State Issue 1: 

• LaRose made himself “the face of” State Issue 1 – an effort that is designed to help special interests while silencing the Ohioans he’s supposed to be working for. 
• LaRose hurt himself by putting himself at the center of State Issue 1 and has been dogged by ethics complaints, scrutiny, and criticism from his primary opponents for how he’s mishandled the issue. 
• In May, LaRose admitted that State Issue 1 is “100%” about abortion – “frustrat[ing]” proponents of the issue, who have admitted that the focus on abortion has not been helpful. 
• By putting himself at the center of the August election, LaRose is “obscuring” and suffocating his Senate campaign launch. 
• In a “hail mary pass” last week, LaRose tried to run for cover by pulling his primary opponents closer to State Issue 1 – only pouring more gasoline on the Ohio primary fire. 
• Pundits have noted that if State Issue 1 fails, it could “fall on” LaRose and “hurt” his Senate campaign.