A bipartisan bill that would have finally closed Ohio's child marriage loophole has been quietly blocked by members of the Republican Senate caucus, drawing sharp criticism from advocates who say the move is indefensible and a direct betrayal of Ohio's most vulnerable young people.
Senate Bill 341, which had been moving through the Senate Judiciary Committee with zero opposition across four separate hearings, would raise the legal marriage age to 18 with no exceptions. Under current Ohio law, 17-year-olds can marry with parental consent and a judge's approval if they complete marriage counseling, wait 14 days, and marry a partner no more than four years older. Since that loophole was created in 2019, at least 53 minors have been married under it, according to data from Unchained at Last, a national organization that fights forced and child marriage.
The dangers advocates have outlined are serious and well-documented. When a minor marries in Ohio, they are legally emancipated from their parents and become entirely financially dependent on their spouse. Under current law, a married minor cannot go to a domestic violence shelter, cannot sign a lease, cannot retain an attorney, and cannot file for divorce. Research consistently shows that between 70% and 80% of these marriages end in divorce, and that minors in these situations face dramatically elevated risks of abuse, exploitation, and trafficking 🔍.
The bill was pulled from the committee agenda after Republican senators held a private caucus meeting, with no public explanation offered. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Nathan Manning said advocates would need to meet privately with senators to explain why the change is needed, despite the fact that the bill had already received four committee hearings with no opposing testimony. Unchained at Last has announced a protest at the Ohio Statehouse on June 3 in response to the blockage, calling it shameful and a slap in the face to girls in Ohio.
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