Ohio Senate Fails to Vote on Child Marriage Ban Before Summer Break
Despite unanimous committee approval, Ohio senators left for summer break without voting on a bill that would ban marriage for anyone under 18 years old.
COLUMBUS, OHIO — Ohio lawmakers adjourned for summer break without taking a full Senate vote on legislation that would ban child marriage in the state, despite the bill receiving unanimous approval from a committee last week.
Ohio Senate Bill 341 passed unanimously through the Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday but was not scheduled for a floor vote that same day. The bipartisan legislation would require all Ohioans to be at least 18 years old to marry.
“We had a lot of other bills that we’re going to pass that got out of the committee this week. It’s probably going to be something that’s going to make the floor at some point this session,” said Ohio Senate President Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, when asked why the bill was not brought up for a vote.
Current Law Allows Teen Marriage With Court Approval
Under Ohio’s current marriage laws, 17-year-olds can marry someone up to four years older than them, provided a juvenile court grants approval. The proposed legislation would eliminate this exception and establish 18 as the minimum age for marriage without exceptions.
State Senators Bill DeMora, D-Columbus, and Bill Blessing, R-Colerain Twp., introduced the bipartisan bill earlier this year. The legislation has faced no public opposition but experienced delays in committee proceedings.
Lawmakers Express Frustration Over Inaction
Senator DeMora voiced frustration over the Senate’s failure to advance the child marriage ban while other controversial legislation moves forward.
“The House could throw in the success sequence, which I think is utterly ridiculous, but this chamber can’t pass a bill to ban underage marriage, so I don’t know how we can somehow justify one and not justify the other,” DeMora said, referring to the Ohio House recently adding the success sequence to other legislation.
According to Unchained At Last, an organization dedicated to ending child marriage, more than 5,000 Ohio children have been married as minors since 2000. Nationally, nearly 300,000 minors were married between 2000 and 2018, the organization reported.
The Ohio Senate is expected to reconvene later this year when the legislative session resumes. Senate President McColley indicated the child marriage ban could still receive consideration during the current session, though no specific timeline was provided.
