OLYMPIA, WA – (MyBellinghamNow.com) A large group of people showed up to the Capitol in Olympia Thursday dressed in bridal gowns to urge lawmakers to take a stand against certain marriages.
The Seattle Times reports the demonstration was held to call on our state Senate to pass House Bill 1455 which would set the minimum age of marriage to 18.
The bill unanimously passed the House on the first day of the legislative session earlier this year, and supporters are hoping it doesn’t stall in the Senate as it did last year when the bill was first presented.
Under current laws children under 17 can marry with parental consent and can marry younger than that with a judge’s approval. But advocates point out the child cannot divorce until they reach 18.
They also say many support systems like domestic violence shelters may turn away minors.
Washington is one of 43 states that allow children to get married. The state also has no minimum age for marriage.
