COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – It is lining up to be a busy day at the Statehouse on Wednesday, with both the House and Senate in session, and some high-profile bills will get sent to the governor’s desk.
House Bill 161 would make spousal rape, sexual battery, unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, gross sexual imposition, and sexual imposition all punishable by law, regardless of the circumstances surrounding the offense.
“If it had passed in 1970 it would’ve been overdue,” citizen lobbyist Chris Graham said. “This is perhaps the most overdue thing in the Statehouse.”
As it stands, if force or threat of force was used, then someone can act against their spouse for sexual assault. But if there was any type of intoxication, like alcohol or drugs, that spousal rape case is thrown out. House Bill 161 passed the House back in November.
If it does pass the Senate on Wednesday, it will then head to the governor’s desk. If he does sign it, it will become 90 days later.
“There are coming of age moments, and in Ohio, this is one of them,” Graham said. “Removing the spousal exemption and recognizing that men and women are equal and women are not the property of men is a really big deal.”
The senate is also going to vote on House Bill 250, a bill originally about state diploma seals for military enlistment, that was amended to require the Department of Education and Workforce to also create policies for cellphone use in K-12 schools.
House Bill 8, known as the “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” is legislation to allow parents to opt their students out of certain lessons in school, passed the House on party-lines back in June.
On Tuesday, the bill was scheduled to get a Senate committee vote, but that did not ultimately happen. The chair of the committee said they are still working on the legislation. The bill will not be on the senate floor on Wednesday. If the senate does end up passing HB8, the House would have to agree with changes the Senate made before it goes to the governor’s desk.
“The purpose of the Parents’ Bill of Rights is for parents to know what's going on in schools. That's really the heart of that bill,” Speaker of the Ohio House Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) said. “I have to see what the changes actually come out from the Senate and then we'll discuss it as a caucus from there.”
“The title sounds nice and innocuous, but the reality is this bill has provisions in it that force the outing of students,” Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) said. “And I think put students at risk of potential safety of students.”
A few weeks ago, Stephens said he wants 10 to 12 bills to be voted on every session. Six will be voted on in the House session Wednesday.
“We have an appointment for a new member, we also will be appointing a new minority whip, plus the recognizing the former Speaker of the House,” Stephens said. “So, we will have several other things beside bills.”
House Republicans will be filling former Rep. Bob Young’s seat on Wednesday. That seat has been vacant since October.
Among the bills is also one to add state regulations to where drones can be flown, legislation to increase penalties for drug trafficking, and a bill to create a penalty for the grooming of minors. If those bills do pass the House floor, they will head to the Senate for consideration.
Other high-profile bills like Senate Bill 83, known as the “Higher Education Enhancement Act,” will not be getting a House floor vote. Stephens said it does not have support.
House Bill 51, or the “Second Amendment Preservation Act,” and House Bill 183, known as the “Bathroom Bill,” will also not be getting house floor votes.
“We're still talking about that along with several other bills,” Stephens said.
The Senate session is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and the House session at 2 p.m. on Wednesday.
