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Article: Mistake in Ark. law allows toddlers to marry with parental consent
- Article from:
- Charleston Gazette
- Article date:
- August 18, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2007 Charleston Gazette. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - A law passed this year allows Arkansans of any
age - even infants - to marry if their parents agree, and the
governor may have to call a special session to fix the mistake,
lawmakers said Friday.
The legislation was intended to establish 18 as the minimum age to
marry but also allow pregnant teenagers to marry with parental
consent, bill sponsor Rep. Will Bond said. An extraneous "not" in the
bill, however, allows anyone who is not pregnant to marry at any age
if the parents allow it.
"It's clearly not the intent to allow 10-year-olds or 11-year-
olds to get married," Bond said. "The legislation was screwed up."