COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — For the moment, at least, adults in Ohio can still legally marry 17-year-olds, under certain circumstances. A widely popular bill in the Ohio Senate that would officially set the minimum age for marriage at 18 stalled just before the finish line.
Chris Graham, a justice reform activist who has been pushing lawmakers to approve Senate Bill 341—sponsored by Senators Louis Blessing III (R-Colerain Twp.) and Bill DeMora (D-Columbus) said he and other activists were “stunned” that the bill did not make it to the Senate floor before lawmakers left town for the Summer.
“We had a number of advocates that have come in that have been shocked to see the way Ohio is rolling here,” Graham said. “It’s odd to see some senators, some representatives, just resolute, we’re doing this, it’s time, Ohio is growing up. But then you have others that are dragging their feet, but who also can’t be public about it.”
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Supporters and activists like Graham say that once a minor, almost always an underage girl, is married to an adult, that adult becomes both her spouse and legal guardian, putting her in an incredibly dangerous situation. Minors have limited legal rights, and limited options for escaping an abusive marriage…