An Ohio law that has kept 32 years of adoption records sealed will sunset Friday, permitting some 400,000 adoptees to ask for their original birth certificates.
Many adoptees have fought for decades to get access to their own birth information, but with the law scheduled to go into into effect, Ohio becomes only the ninth state to reopen sealed records.
A handful of state legislatures are considering “open records” bills this year, and adoptees born in Connecticut, New Jersey and Colorado are awaiting laws to go into effect.
March 20 marks the end of a quarter-century of efforts to open the birth records, as opposition ebbed, and the new Ohio law was passed with support from pro-life and Catholic groups.
• Cheryl Wetzstein can be reached at cwetzstein@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.