According to a new report from the Ohio Capital Journal, despite months of denial, 2024 Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Frank LaRose finally “admitted that the proposal to make the Constitution harder to amend is ‘100%’ due to efforts to legalize abortion.”
LaRose and Ohio Republicans are involved with a blatant anti-democratic plan to use an August election to prevent voters from protecting abortion rights at the ballot box in November. LaRose had previously pushed to limit August elections, but now that Ohioans can reverse his party’s anti-abortion efforts, the secretary of state has flip-flopped on the issue.
Ohio Capital Journal: Ohio Sec. of State LaRose admits making constitution harder to amend is ‘100% about… abortion’
By: Morgan Trau | June 5, 2023
Key Points:
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“After months of denial, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose admitted that the proposal to make the constitution harder to amend is ‘100%’ due to efforts to legalize abortion.”
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“Advocates have argued that Issue 1, which would make it harder to amend the Ohio Constitution, is actually about trying to make it harder to make abortion a constitutional right.”
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“But on Nov. 17, 2022, Secretary of State Frank LaRose said otherwise. ‘That’s not what this kind of a change should ever be about,’ the secretary said. Ohioans will likely get the choice this November of enshrining reproductive rights in law.”
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“Every single time LaRose has been asked if Issue 1 was related to an abortion vote, he has denied it.’ ‘If this is about one specific issue, then somebody’s not really focused on what we’re trying to accomplish here,’ the secretary said.”
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“But the words he said to reporters appear different than when he spoke to his supporters. ‘It’s 100% about keeping a radical pro-abortion amendment out of our constitution,’ LaRose said.”
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“Raw video obtained by OCJ/WEWS from Scanner Media shows the secretary at Lincoln Day on May 22, 2023 in Seneca County, with what advocates call ‘saying the quiet part out loud.’”
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“‘It is utterly shameful that Secretary LaRose or anyone would work to take this freedom away from us for just one issue,’ Jen Miller with the League of Women Voters of Ohio said.”
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“Miller explained that LaRose was the one who first put forward the idea of raising the threshold for a constitutional amendment to pass from a simple majority to 60%. This would change the way the Constitution has worked for more than 110 years.”
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“LaRose has continuously denied that his idea is related to any specific policies.”
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“In the secretary’s testimony in support of the legislation, he said, ‘Campaigns will make this a fight over the provocative political issues of the moment… We all need to take a deep breath, put aside current political disputes, and ask whether this is the best way to govern our state over the long run.’”
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“‘The next thing they want to do is put a $15 an hour minimum wage in our state constitution,’ he said. ‘And who knows what’s next? Marijuana?’”
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“But at the Lincoln Day event — this was the message: ‘Some people say this is all about abortion. Well, you know what?; LaRose said. ‘It’s 100% about keeping a radical pro-abortion amendment out of our constitution the left wants to jam it in there this coming November.’”
Read the full report here.
Published: Jun 5, 2023 | Last Modified: Jun 7, 2023