March 30, 2023

Ending child marriage: “Legislators gone wild” edition

We know you are as determined as we at Unchained are to make sure every U.S. state passes legislation to ban child marriage. As you know, we lead the national movement to set each state’s marriage age at #18NoExceptions, and to date we have achieved historic legislative victories in seven states. Only 43 to go.

Here’s our roundup of the legislative — and legislator — battles we are fighting right now and how you can help us win each one:

First, let’s talk about the good bills. Right now, 10 states have pending legislation that would end all marriage before 18, without exceptions:

• We, along with allies, advocates and survivors, formed a coalition to end child marriage, met with every legislator, gathered written materials and testimony and testified at a joint judiciary committee hearing in favor of the bill to end child marriage in Connecticut. Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz is a strong supporter of the bill and held a press conference to urge legislators to pass the bill that we and our allies joined. Despite “concerns” from legislators about “hormone replacement surgery” (WTF?) — which not only isn’t a thing, but also has absolutely nothing to do with child marriage — the bill passed out of the committee and now moves on to the full house floor.
• After we testified — and formed a coalition, met with legislators, created written materials and gathered support from allies — in favor Vermont’s bill to end child marriage, it also passed the house and the senate judiciary committee. Now it goes to the full senate! (No questions about nonexistent medical procedures from this group.)
• Michigan lawmakers just re-introduced a bill package to end all marriage before 18, no exceptions — the fourth attempt in the state. We spoke at a press conference with legislators there earlier this month to announce the legislation and urge its passage. As in CT and VT, we and our allies also formed a coalition to end child marriage, met with state legislators, compiled written materials and gathered testimony. We feel good about the bill package’s chances this year.
• We also testified in favor of the bill to end child marriage in Washington, which passed the house unanimously (!!). It’s too late for the senate to pick the bill up this year, but it can pick it up when the session resumes in January.
• Maine’s bill to end child marriage is passed out of the joint judiciary committee after we testified in its favor and is now awaiting action in the house.
• Legislation to end child marriage also is pending in South Carolina, Illinois, Kansas, Hawaii and Texas, but those face more of an uphill battle.

Two more good bills died or were defeated in the legislature so far this session:

• A bill to end child marriage was defeated in the New Hampshire legislature in February. This is the fourth time NH legislators have defeated a bill to end child marriage resoundingly and immediately.
• New Mexico had strong legislation to end child marriage, thanks to our hard work. The bill as introduced would not have ended child marriage, but we convinced the bill sponsor to make it a strong bill that would have eliminated all marriage before age 18. Sadly, that bill died at the end of NM’s legislative session earlier this month.

Now let’s discuss the bad and ugly bills:

• A bill to end child marriage in West Virginia has had a disappointing trajectory: Initially, the bill left a dangerous loophole that would not have ended child marriage. But, thanks to our advocacy, the bill’s sponsor in the house proposed an amendment that would have ended all marriage before age 18. That amendment failed to pass in the senate judiciary committee, and the bill died. But it was resurrected and amended once again by the senate sponsor to set the minimum marriage age at 16, which does nothing to protect 16- and 17-year-olds — those most affected by child marriage. That version of the bill was signed into law — and many in WV and beyond are praising this as a victory! (Spoiler alert: It’s not. Solving the problem for 3% of the population isn’t solving the problem. #18NoExceptions). One legislator, a product of child marriage who called himself “the luckiest guy in the world,” voted against the bill, noting his mother married at 16 and, “six months later, [he] came along.”
• Wyoming also passed a useless bill this year, which set the minimum marriage age at 16 — which does nothing to protect the overwhelming majority of children married in the state. And even that bill barely squeaked by; WY Republicans circulated an email to legislators praising child marriage and the importance of allowing minors to continue marrying, including that the bill “denies parental rights,” which includes the right of parents to “[guide] their own maturing children into the estate of Holy Matrimony.” (Again, WTF?)
• California lawmakers had introduced a strong bill to end child marriage but have since stripped it of all family code statutes. In its current form, it would criminalize arranging a religious or non-legally recognized child marriage — but would keep the legal marriage age at 0. (Once again, WTF?)

We are able to lead the growing national movement to end child marriage — despite the bonkers opposition from legislators — thanks to generous support from allies including Roberts Foundation, Conboy Foundation, Focus for Health, Elluminate, Jewish Women’s Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago — and you!