HB 272, the Defense of Marriage Act has been assigned to the Ohio Senate Finance and Financial Institutions Committee. The bill is on an extremely fast track. The bill is going to have a hearing on Tuesday, January 20, 2004 at 1:00 PM in the Finance Hearing Room in the Ohio Senate AND on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 at 9:00 AM in the Finance Hearing Room.
THE BILL IS MARKED FOR A VOTE ON WEDNESDAY.
We need to take action now!!
Contact via email or phone members of the Committee to let them know that this legislation is bad for Ohio business and would affect unmarried partner households in Ohio, which, according to the 2000 census, make up 5.2% of Ohio's population.
HB 272 is additionally unnecessary since Ohio law already explicitly states that marriage is between one man and one woman. This is discriminatory and unnecessary language that will threaten the benefits currently offered by at least 53 public and private employers in Ohio. Members of the Finance Committee need to vote NO on HB 272.
Members of the Committee:
Senator Bill Harris -- Chair
614-466-8086
SD19@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
Senator Joy Padgett
614-466-8076
sd20@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
Senator John Carey
614-466-8156
sd17@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
Senator Ron Amstutz
614-466-7505
SD22@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
Senator Louis Blessing
614-466-8068
lblessin@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
Senator Randy Gardner
614-466-8060
ra_gard@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
Senator Jay Hottinger
614-466-5838
SD31@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
Senator Steve Austria
614-466-3780
sd10@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
Senator Steve Stivers
614-466-5981
sd16@mailr.sen.state.oh.us
Democrat Members of Committee
Senator Eric Fingerhut
614-466-4583
senatorfingerhut@hotmail.com
Senator Mark Mallory
614-466-5980
SenatorMallory@maild.sen.state.oh.us
Senator Ray Miller
614-466-5131
rmiller@maild.sen.state.oh.us
Senator C.J. Prentiss
614-466-4857
gboas@maild.sen.state.oh.us