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Zanesville, OH — Today, Zanesville elected officials and workers celebrated the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and discussed what it means for Zanesville and Muskingum County, as part of the Building Ohio Together Tour, organized by the Ohio Democratic Party and For Our Future Ohio.

“The infrastructure bill represents the largest infrastructure investment in American history and will have meaningful results for working families here in Zanesville, just like the one we’re standing in front of today – Dug Road,” said Ohio State Building and Construction Trades Secretary-Treasurer Mike Knisley.

The bipartisan bill will create good-paying jobs and help Ohio businesses grow by investing in our roads, bridges, public transit, water pipes and broadband.

“Because of this bill, Ohio’s economy will be back on the road to recovery with billions of dollars in investments and hundreds of new good-paying jobs. We’re working to lower costs for working Ohioans, rather than for big corporations and the super rich,” said Councilman Todd Ware.

These critical investments in physical infrastructure will also be bolstered by Build Back Better legislation that will invest in human infrastructure, by cutting taxes and making life more affordable for working Ohioans.

“Working Ohioans have felt the squeeze for too long from big corporations. We are excited that with the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, Ohio will see good-paying union jobs and finally fix our roads, bridges, water pipes and high-speed internet,” said CWA’s Frank Mathews.

Local leaders also discussed how these investments will help working families get ahead and help communities like Zanesville compete on a global stage.

More on the new infrastructure funding below:

• Ohio is expected to receive $9.2 billion for highways and $483 million for bridge replacement and repairs. [White House, 8/4/21]
• Ohio is expected to receive $1.2 billion to improve public transit. [White House, 8/4/21]
• Ohio is expected to receive $100 million in broadband funding, including providing high-speed internet access to the at least 259,000 Ohioans who lack it. [White House, 8/4/21]
• Ohio is expected to receive $1.4 billion over five years to improve water infrastructure across the state. [White House, 8/4/21]
• Ohio is expected to receive approximately $253 million for infrastructure development for airports. [White House, 8/4/21]

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Columbus, OH — Today, Republican gubernatorial challenger Jim Renacci selected Joe Knopp (?) to be his running mate, setting up an even nastier primary as Knopp introduced himself to Ohio by going on the attack against Mike DeWine and Jon Husted. DeWine and Husted are already underwater with Republican voters and a nasty primary in which they face more attacks from the right are only going to continue to further sink their numbers among Republicans, putting their ability to survive a primary further in question.

“It says a lot about Mike DeWine and Jon Husted that they’re so unpalatable to Ohio voters that even Jim Renacci and a guy none of us have ever heard of have a real shot in the Republican primary for governor. While Republicans will be busy duking it out over who cares less about the health and safety of Ohioans, Democrats will be traveling across the state to share our vision of putting working families first and showing voters we’re on their side,” said Matt Keyes, spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party.

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LaRose’s Hollow Claims about Fighting for Election Integrity and Telling the Truth to Both Sides Ring Hollow as He Once Again Tries to Placate Trump Republicans

Columbus, OH — In case you missed it (for over a year now), Joe Biden is in fact the president and the election was not “rigged.” Just don’t ask Frank LaRose to answer any of those questions and expect to get a straight response. At the Hamilton County Board of Elections yesterday, LaRose once again showed he’s a coward by attempting to duck questions on the 2020 election in Ohio. The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that LaRose couldn’t even give a straight answer on who won the 2020 election and spent most of the time praising Trump, scared of alienating his Republican base that’s already skeptical of him. 

“But when asked by The Enquirer whether he believed Trump won or lost the 2020 election nationally, LaRose didn’t give a simple answer,” writes the Enquirer. 

“Frank LaRose talked a big game about calling out election lies when they happen, but his political calculus has clearly changed as he’s sounding more like Josh Mandel every day.  By refusing to tell voters the truth clearly and directly and by failing once again to stand up to his own party, Larose made it clear his own political ambitions will always come first,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokesperson Matt Keyes. 

You can read more from the Enquirer here and below: 

• As the sound of papers being shuffled filled the large room, LaRose stood before a placard stating “Security, transparency, integrity” and told the press Ohio’s elections are safe and secure.

• But when asked by The Enquirer whether he believed Trump won or lost the 2020 election nationally, LaRose didn’t give a simple answer.

• “I can speak for Ohio,” LaRose said Tuesday. “I can tell you President Trump won a decisive victory in Ohio, in fact, a record-setting victory. Nobody has ever gotten 3 million votes in our state history.”

• LaRose, a Republican first elected to secretary of state in 2018, didn’t directly criticize Trump.

• LaRose faces a primary challenge in 2022 from former state legislator John Adams, a Trump loyalist who has touted debunked claims that cast doubt on President Joe Biden’s win.

• LaRose voiced concerns about “last-minute changes” being made by courts to the election process in some states, though he didn’t cite specific examples. He did dismiss false conspiracy theories about bamboo ballots from China and “secret algorithms.”

• After a two-minute explanation, LaRose recognized President Joe Biden’s victory. “Under the rules in place, President Biden won,” LaRose said.

• Does Trump bear responsibility for undermining people’s faith in elections?

• LaRose didn’t call Trump out by name. Instead, he called out Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams for not conceding the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election. Abrams was the only politician he criticized by name.

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Columbus, OH — Today, Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters released the following statement as the Supreme Court begins oral arguments on the dangerous Mississippi 15-week abortion ban that effectively renders Roe v. Wade meaningless:

“As the Supreme Court begins to hear arguments on Mississippi’s dangerous abortion ban, it puts a spotlight on Ohio Republicans’ relentless efforts to strip healthcare away and put the reproductive rights of thousands of Ohioans at risk. Ohio Republican politicians at every level are trying to ban abortion and insert themselves in a decision that should be between Ohioans and their doctors. In 2022, Ohioans will hold Republicans accountable as they continue to relentlessly attack Ohioans’ rights and put their health and safety at risk.”

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West Chester Township, OH —  Today, all of the leading GOP Senate candidates participated in a forum with the Ohio Press Network in West Chester Township. In response, Ohio Democratic Party spokesperson Michael Beyer released the following statement:  

“While Democrats are focused on lowering costs, rebuilding our infrastructure and growing jobs in Ohio, the out-of-touch millionaires running for U.S. Senate added more fuel to the fire in their never-ending brawl. With less than six months to go and millions more to spend, tonight’s forum highlighted just how low each of the Ohio GOP Senate candidates are willing to go to put their own self-serving ambition first and turn off Ohioans in the process.”

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