JEFFERSON CITY 鈥 No one younger than 18 will be able to get married in Missouri under a proposal that won first-round approval in the state Senate on Wednesday.
The change would be another step away from state laws that historically have been permissive toward child marriage.
Before 2018, minors aged 15 or older could get married with the written permission of a parent, and minors 14 or under could get married with a court order.
But greater restrictions on the marriage of minors were approved in 2018. The minimum marriage age was raised to 16 with a parent鈥檚 written permission, and anyone age 21 or older could no longer marry a minor.
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This year鈥檚 proposal would change the legal marriage age to 18 with no exceptions.
Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder, R-Scott City, one of the bill sponsors, has shared her personal story while pushing for the legislation this year.
鈥淚 got married at 15. And so as a child that was married, I can unequivocally say that it鈥檚 a terrible idea, and you鈥檙e not old enough to make those type of decisions,鈥 she said. 鈥淭his is an adult decision.鈥
鈥淲e鈥檝e heard from so many people who have endured a lot of trauma as a result of getting married at a young age,鈥 said Sen. Lauren Arthur, D-Kansas City, who is co-sponsoring the legislation. 鈥(These situations) should be warning signs to us all that this is no longer an acceptable standard.鈥
Rehder and Arthur last month held a news conference with anti-child-marriage advocates to bring attention to the issue.
鈥淚t is not OK to marry minors off,鈥 said Michele Hanash, director of policy and women鈥檚 programs at AHA Foundation. Because minors have limited legal rights, child marriage can have devastating consequences, she said.
It put minors at risk of 鈥渦nrelenting physical, emotional and sexual abuse,鈥 Hanash said.
A few changes were made to the final legislation before it was approved Wednesday, including two additional provisions.
One, added by Rehder, deals with who is responsible for costs to enforce court orders in a divorce proceeding.
Another, added by Arthur, updates the factors judges consider in making custody decisions.
The measure needs one more vote in the Senate before it goes to the House for consideration.
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Missouri Sen. Mike Moon explains his support for child marriage in the context of a couple he knows who married at 11- and 12-years-old when the child became pregnant. Video provided by the Missouri Senate
