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JEFFERSON CITY 鈥� A bipartisan push to ban child marriage took an initial step forward in the Missouri Senate Wednesday after falling short last year.

Under current law, 16- and 17-year-olds are allowed to get married with parental consent. Marriage between a minor and anyone 21 or older is banned.

The latest version of the legislation introduced by Sen. Tracy McCreery would prohibit issuing a marriage license to anyone younger than 18 under any circumstances.

McCreery, D-Olivette, told the Senate Families, Children and Health Committee that child marriage puts children at risk of mental and sexual abuse.

鈥淐hild marriage is the legalization of child rape,鈥� McCreery said. 鈥淢issouri realizes it is OK to evolve.鈥�

Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, has introduced similar legislation after he previously opposed the change because some members of his extended family had been married at early ages.

鈥淚 was on the other side years ago. But we鈥檙e not there today,鈥� Brattin said. 鈥淭his isn鈥檛 yesteryear.鈥�

In 2018, the Legislature raised the minimum marriage age in Missouri to 16 鈥� up from either 15 with parental consent or any age with court approval.

McCreery said her bill would help 16- or 17-year-olds.

The Republican-controlled state Senate approved the plan on a 31-1 vote last year, but the legislation stalled in a House committee amid opposition from a handful of lawmakers.

One of them, Rep. Dean VanSchoiack, a Savannah Republican, told the Kansas City Star that he knows people who got married as minors, including a woman at roughly age 17.

The couple, he said, is 鈥渟till madly in love with each other.鈥�

Another opponent, Rep. Hardy Billington, a Poplar Bluff Republican, said the change could cause pregnant teenagers to have abortions when they can鈥檛 get married.

In testimony to the Senate committee, Fraidy Reiss, a forced marriage survivor, said women under the age of 18 are considered minors.

Reiss said minors can鈥檛 file for divorce, bring legal action in their own name or get into a domestic violence shelter without parental consent.

And some parents marry their child to avoid child support obligations or even traffic their child to create a legal path to U.S. citizenship for noncitizens.

Reiss said the current law leads to human trafficking. Raising the age could save young women鈥檚 lives.

鈥淭his is personal for me,鈥� Reiss said. 鈥淚t costs nothing. It harms no one.鈥�

Brandi Dredge of St. Joseph said she got pregnant when she married a 24-year-old at age 16.

鈥淚 lost my childhood and along the way I lost myself,鈥� Dredge said.

Another witness, Sheena Eastburn of Joplin, was married at 15 and, after two years of abuse, murdered her husband in 1992 and spent 25 years in prison.

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 advocate for myself,鈥� Eastburn said.

Former Sen. Holly Rehder, R-Sikeston, married at 15 to a 21-year-old.

鈥淚 was too young to make that kind of decision and I derailed my life. I was very isolated and alone,鈥� said Rehder, who sponsored previous attempts to raise the age.

鈥淣ot every issue is a hate-filled fight,鈥� Brattin said.

The measure did not receive a vote Wednesday.

The legislation is Sena