Some Republican state senators blocked a bill that would have closed a loophole that allows teens to marry at age 17, which means Ohio might remain among states that permit child marriage.
“All I know is some people in the Republican caucus think it’s OK to have child marriage,” said state Sen. Bill DeMora, D-Columbus, who is co-sponsoring the bill with Sen. Bill Blessing, R-Colerain Twp.
The bill calls for raising the marriage age to 18 and older for all parties.
Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee planned to vote on Senate Bill 341 but senators pulled it off the agenda, along with other pending bills. This week, SB341 isn’t on the committee agenda.
Blessing declined to comment but the bill came off the committee voting agenda after Republican senators held a private caucus meeting.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Nathan Manning, R-North Ridgeville, said advocates will meet with senators to explain why changing the law is needed.
Senate President Rob McColley, who is running for lieutenant governor with Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, said even straightforward issues sometimes need further exploration. “We’ve still got time left in this legislative session.”
Fraidy Reiss, founder of Unchained At Last, a national organization seeking to end forced and child marriage, said she doesn’t know who in the senate is holding up a bill that had no opposition and would end an abusive practice that harms children.
“It is shameful. It is a slap in the face to girls in Ohio,” she said.
Hellbound and Down 