Ohio Secretary of State confirms that increasing the amendment threshold will not lead to a ban on contraception.

According to the Ohio Secretary of State, there are no plans by Republican lawmakers to ban contraception if the threshold for passing a state constitutional amendment is increased. Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) made this statement during a debate hosted by WCMH-TV in Columbus. The debate centered around Issue 1, a ballot proposal that aims to raise the threshold for passing future changes to the Ohio Constitution from a simple majority to 60 percent. This comes as Ohio is preparing to vote on a measure in November to amend the state constitution in order to protect abortion rights.

When questioned about an advertisement against the passage of Issue 1, which depicted a Republican congressman taking away a condom from a couple, LaRose expressed confidence that Republican lawmakers in the state would not exploit the raised threshold to push anti-contraception legislation. He stated, “I can tell you that every reasonable person I know thinks that people should be able to have access to that if that’s what they choose.”

During the debate, Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D) claimed that Republicans are supporting Issue 1 as a response to the upcoming November ballot measure that seeks to enshrine access to abortion and reproductive healthcare in the state constitution. Russo alleged that Republican lawmakers chose to hold the vote on Issue 1 on August 8 in order to pass it before the November vote. She criticized this move, stating, “And that is simply the rush to get this on the ballot in an August special election and to change the rules of the game in the middle of the game.”

In May, LaRose had previously stated that the August measure “is 100% about keeping a radical, pro-abortion amendment out of our constitution.”

The Hill and WCMH-TV are both owned by Nexstar Media Group.