Legislation that would have raised the minimum marriage age in Maryland above 15 died in the final hours of the General Assembly session Monday night as the Senateand House of Delegates failed to reach a compromise.
Maryland law sets a minimum marriage age of 15 — if the teen’s parents or guardians consent and if the female to be wed is pregnant or has given birth. The Senate passed a bill raising the age to 16. The House said 17. Neither side would budge despite pleas from lawmakers who sought higher ages.
“We have to get rid of 15 being when to marry,” Sen. Bobby Zirkin told his fellow lawmakers. “It’s an embarrassment to the state.”
Del. Vanessa Atterbeary, the Howard County Democrat who sponsored the House bill, refused to go lower than 17. She said giving in to the demands of her Senate colleagues could set a bad precedent for other states considering similar legislation.
Her original bill, sponsored by Zirkin in the Senate, sought to set the minimum age at 18.
A similar disagreement led to an impasse on the final day of last year’s session, and neither chamber’s bill passed.
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7 comments:
And People wants to know what is wrong with todays society.
what a joke. they can diddle each other and pop out babies like rabbits but cant wed. whats the point. it is meaningless.
How about locking them up for having 3 babies before their eighteen?? Why not?? Government will take care of them anyway.
Your spelling.
That should keep all the illegal immigrants and the Muslims happy in Maryland. And how about that other little known law in Maryland that allows first cousins to marry? Not many states do that.
ANOTHER worwic college 10 year grad correcting others grammar. BRILLIANT.
Lol. I am not even shocked, matches the mentality of many around the state.
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