Ohio Gov. Bob Taft signed HB 272, barring recognition of same-sex marriages and civil unions
On February 6, 2004, Ohio Governor Bob Taft signed House Bill 272 into law, amending the Ohio Revised Code to declare same-sex marriages against state public policy, prohibit Ohio from recognizing out-of-state same-sex marriages and civil unions, and bar the extension of marriage-like statutory benefits to nonmarital relationships. The Ohio House passed the bill 73–23 on December 10, 2003, and the Ohio Senate followed 18–15 on January 21, 2004. The law took effect on May 7, 2004, and remained in force until the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015.