Republican Senators Hope To Raise Marital Age

WFSU | By Jim Ash

Published August 14, 2017 at 2:26 PM EDT

Republican lawmakers want to raise the legal age for marriage to 18 following stories of an 11-year-old girl who was forced to marry her abuser.

Florida would no longer issue marriage licenses to couples younger than 18 under bill filed Monday by Republican lawmakers.

Senate Rules Chairman Lizbeth Benacquisto of Fort Myers says she’s heard of parents forcing girls as young as 11 to marry the abusers who got them pregnant.

Florida law allows 16 and 17-year-olds to marry with parental consent and minors who have children or are pregnant can also be issued marriage licenses.

Senate Majority Leader Wilton Simpson of Trilby is a co-sponsor. The bill is filed for the next legislative session that begins in January.

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Jim Ash

Jim Ash is a reporter at WFSU-FM. A Miami native, he is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years of experience, most of it in print. He has been a member of the Florida Capital Press Corps since 1992.

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