Slowly but surely, state lawmakers are progressing in the effort to better protect victims, rather than offering protection to criminals. On April 24, Ohio Senate members voted unanimously to eliminate exceptions to certain sex offenses that apply if the victim is the spouse.

This outdated remnant had been allowed to do damage for too long. But in November, members of the Ohio House passed a similar bill with a nearly unanimous vote.

Goodness knows what state Rep. Bill Dean, R-Xenia, was thinking when he cast the lone “nay” vote.

But it doesn’t matter. A bill that eliminates the exception for rape if the spouse lives with the offender is now on its way to Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk, although it is unclear when or if DeWine will sign this bill.

Offenses outlined in House Bill 161 include rape, sexual battery, unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, gross sexual imposition, sexual imposition and importuning. It also allows an individual to testify against their spouse if they choose to prosecute for any of the listed sex offenses.

“I’m grateful to finally see it come to fruition so we can close this loophole in Ohio’s law, providing protection to all survivors of sexual violence,” state Sen. Stephanie Kunze, R-Dublin, said, according to a report by WBNS, a news television station in Columbus.

It’s proof the vast majority of lawmakers are capable of understanding that some issues are not “social” or “cultural,” but simply a matter of right and wrong. Perhaps Ohioans can be encouraged that this is a baby step toward more positive change in the way the folks in Columbus think about the human beings they have been elected to serve.