Hide Article Text (OCR)
Lawmaker error voids marriage blood testingBy CHRIS WAGNER T-R Staff WriterThe same legislation which inadvertently added an extra 0.1 percent to the state sales tax this month also added Ohio to the handful of states which do not require blood tests of couples wishing to marry.Oops.The blood test as a condition for a marriage license has been law for some time. It is designed to detect syphilis, thus helping to prevent its spread from one partner to another and to any children that may be born from the marriage.But someone forgot to re-include the law into the 1100-page omnibus bill that, among other things, increased the sales tax from 4 percent to 5.1 percent earlier this month. Legislators had to go back and eliminate the 0.1 percent mistake, which for a time played havoc with computerized cash registers.“I don’t think there was any reason for it to be taken out,” Rep. William Hinig (D-New Philadelphia) said of the blood test elimination. “It was something that was overlooked. In any big omnibus bill, there is a possibility of something being inadvertently omitted.”Hinig added that the problem probably will be corrected the first week of January, a time when legislators usually correct errors. The General Assembly recessed last week until January.THE OMISSION was brought to the attention of Tuscarawas County Probate Court workers on Tuesday when they received a telephone call from a Bolivar doctor who asked whether blood tests for syphilis still were required. When the workers checked with the Ohio Department of Health, it was confirmed that the tests no longer were needed as of Nov. 15.‘‘The department was caught unexpectedly by this,” said Dr. Gary Davidson, a chief director of the state health department.‘‘We re just now in the process of mailing out notification forms to probate courts and health departments. They should get them by the end of today or the first of the week.”Tuscarawas County Probate Judge George Demis said he will require blood tests until he receives “official word” that they no longer are needed. He added that if his state sources convince him that the omission will be corrected in January, he will require blood tests throughout the rest of the year.‘‘I don’t think one probate judge in the state knew about this happening.” Demis said. “This came as a complete surprise. Syphilis and VD are supposed to be on the rise, and now they do this. I’m not going to do anything though until I receive official word on what happened.”
Newspaper Details
Dover Times Reporter
Dover, Ohio, US
Sat, Nov 28, 1981
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Greene C.
OH, USA 26 Nov 2024
Other Publications Near Dover, Ohio
Dover Weekend Daily Reporter
Dover Daily Times
Dover Times Reporter
Weekend Daily Reporter
Dover Daily Reporter
