Under 18 and want to get hitched? In California, you need signed permission from a single parent or legal guardian, an interview and approval from the court.
Soon, you might need to wait until 18 no matter who signs off, making California the only state in the nation with an absolute ban on under-18 marriage.
Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, said he is introducing the bill Friday in hopes of protecting all minors, and protecting women’s rights.
“While we respect all cultures and faiths, we cannot support practices that rob youth of their childhood,” Hill said. “It affects young children, yes, but I wouldn’t consider teenagers to be prepared for marriage when they’re 15 to 17 either.”
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Hill said he wrote the bill after he was contacted by Aliesa Bahri, a 16-year-old constituent. Bahri said she became aware of the issue after hearing about a 12-year-old girl who was engaged to be married in the Silicon Valley area. After investigating the laws and finding that there are no laws prohibiting child marriages, she contacted Hill.
“One, arranged child marriages are immoral. Second, even childhood marriages that are not arranged face worse living conditions and usually end up in divorce anyways,” Bahri said. “Kids don’t have the maturity at that young of an age to make that commitment.” Hill said he chose age 18 because it is the age of consent for other issues, including military service.
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http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-...139043688.html
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