Title
Supporting Ohio House Bill 1
Body
WHEREAS, Ohio is one of only two states that narrowly defines domestic violence as occurring between spouses, those cohabiting, or family members and does not offer specific legal protections for victims of dating violence; and
WHEREAS, House Bill 1 will expand the definition of domestic violence in Ohio to include individuals in ongoing, substantial, intimate, and romantic relationships and will allow victims of dating violence to obtain civil protective orders against their attacker, a protection not allowed under current Ohio law; and
WHEREAS, domestic violence is a serious crime which has severe negative impacts on individuals and families in Columbus. Victims of domestic violence are not limited by gender, age, ethnicity, or sexual orientation; one-in-four women and one-in-seven men have been victims of severe physical violence by an intimate partner; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council recently passed ordinances 2979-2016, 2980-2016, and 0125-2017 authorizing the City Attorney to accept and utilize over 340,000 dollars in grant funding for their domestic violence prevention and assistance programs; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus is committed to providing resources and protection for individuals experiencing domestic violence, and House Bill 1 will add substantial new legal options that will strengthen that effort; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: That this Council does hereby express its support for Ohio House Bill 1 and its commitment to ending domestic violence.