Bill would revise child custody

By Haley BeMiller

Some Ohio Republican lawmakers want to overhaul child custody rules to ensure most parents who get divorced share equal responsibility and time with their kids.

House Bill 14, sponsored by Reps. Rodney Creech, R-West Alexandria, and Marilyn John, R-Richland County, would establish equal parenting as the default arrangement in child custody cases. Proponents say the current system pits parents against each other and harms kids who feel forced to pick a side.

“Currently, we have a winner-loser system, where children are often caught in the middle, having to choose between parents or worse yet, being used as pawns in a conflict,” John said during a news conference on Tuesday. “Until the system changes, our children will continue to be losers.”