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COLUMBUS, January 23, 2004 (CWNews.com/LifeSiteNews.com) – The Ohio Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would ban same-sex ‘marriage’ as well as benefits for “domestic partners” for state employees. The House had already passed the bill and Gov. Robert Taft has said he will sign the bill. 

The proposed law says that same-sex marriage is “against the strong public policy of the state,” and that marriage is formally defined as being between one man and one woman. It was formulated as a way to keep the state from having to recognize same-sex ‘marriage’ if other states legalize it. 

The ban on domestic partner benefits makes the law the strongest of same-sex ‘marriage’ bans passed in 37 states. The prohibition applies to gay and unmarried heterosexual couples. The bill provides exceptions on the ban for cities, towns, schools, and private companies. 

Republican Sen. Jay Hottinger, a longtime supporter of the same-sex ‘marriage’ ban, said that opponents were misstating the bill’s intentions. He said the bill was not an attack on gays, but was meant to protect a traditional definition of marriage. “This is solely and clearly clarifying and protecting the definition of marriage between one man and one woman,” Hottinger said.