Advocates urge Ohio Senate to act on bill raising minimum marriage age to 18

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WOIO) - Advocates and lawmakers gathered at the Ohio Statehouse Tuesday to push the Ohio Senate to pass Senate Bill 341, which would require Ohioans to be 18 to marry.

During a press conference, advocates said the bill will die and need to be reintroduced next year if the Senate does not act.

The Ohio Senate returned this week. Advocates said they were disappointed the bill was not on the Senate’s agenda on Tuesday.

“Ohio senators, why are you giving a giant middle finger to girls across the state? Why are you refusing to pass SB 341 and ban child marriage?” said Fraidy Reiss, executive director of Unchained at Last, who spoke at the press conference.

Lawmakers in support of the bill said Ohio needs to be more supportive of protecting children.

“We cannot claim to protect young people when existing laws put them in danger,” said State Rep. Allison Russo (D- Upper Arlington).

What the bill would change

Survivors of child marriage attended the news conference, some wearing wedding dresses and veils. Many held stop signs reading “Stop child marriage in Ohio.”

Before 2019, Ohio had no minimum age to marry. The minimum age is now 17.

The bill’s primary sponsors are State Sen. Bill DeMora (D- Columbus) and State Sen. Louis W. Blessing III (R- Colerain Township). They said the current minimum age is not enough, and they are running out of time to change it this year.

“18 states have already taken action and the fact that we haven’t done it yet is just another black mark on the state of Ohio,” DeMora said.

“It’s just a simple proposition. You have to be 18 to get married. Why is this so difficult?” Blessing said.

Survivor describes marriage at 16

More than 5,000 children in Ohio have been married as minors since 2000, according to Unchained at Last, a nonprofit that advocates for banning child marriage.

You can see which states have banned child marriage and read more statistics from them here.

Stephanie Lowry, from northeast Ohio, is one of those survivors. 19 Investigates spoke with her back in July. You can watch that story here.

Lowry said she grew up in a religious family in Summit County and became pregnant at 15. She said it would have been statutory rape for the father, so she was pushed into marriage. Her mother filled out paperwork, and she was married at 16.

Lowry said the marriage turned abusive and she could not divorce.

“The law that’s in place would not have protected me, because I didn’t have the right to sign a lease. So when I tried to escape my child marriage that turned abusive, I couldn’t sign a lease so I couldn’t get housing. So I was homeless and I ended up back with him, because that was my only option,” Lowry said.

“I’m still here, and I’m still sharing, to make sure no other minor gets trapped in these legal loopholes in Ohio,” she said at the press conference.

Path forward in the Senate

It is not clear which senators may be holding up the bill. No one has publicly opposed it.

DeMora said he will offer an amendment to every bill on the Senate floor next week. If the bill is tabled, the amendments would force a vote, he said.

Lawmakers have a few weeks to try to pass the bill.

“We will get it done, it’s just a matter of time,” Blessing said.

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