Ohio lawmakers look to ban bestiality, cockfighting again

Ohio lawmakers are again considering a bill to outlaw sex with animals, even though a 2017 law prohibits bestiality and makes cockfighting a felony offense.

But the 2017 law faced a legal challenge that it violated the Ohio Constitution’s one-subject rule. The law also dealt with minimum wages, wireless carriers and other issues.

RELATED: Ohio outlaws sex with animals

Most courts of appeals determined that only parts of the act were unconstitutional but the Sixth District Appellate Court stuck down the entire law, including the parts on animal fighting and bestiality.

The result? People in Erie, Fulton, Huron, Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky, Williams and Wood counties currently cannot be prosecuted for violating the bestiality law. Likewise, they’d face lesser penalties for violating the animal fighting law.

House Bill 350, now pending in the House Criminal Justice Committee, aims to cure that.

The bill, introduced in September, had a hearing on Wednesday.

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About the Author

Laura A. Bischoff

Laura Bischoff is our Columbus bureau reporter and covers politics and state government. She keeps a close eye on elected leaders, public employees and taxpayer money. Bischoff tries to write stories that inform voters, hold leaders accountable and strengthen democracy.