Whoa! Kids This Young, Are Getting Married In Idaho…I’m Shook
Ok granted "my peoples" just wont the right to marry a few years ago, but I'm still not married, so I'm not an expert, but I'm pretty sure marrying too young can sometimes be tough. So how young is too young to get married? Well in the state of Idaho kids as young as...and yes... you'll want to clutch your pearls here... 13... yes kids as young as 13 got married. According to date from this this Idaho Statesman story, between 2000 and 2010 over 4000 kids were married in Idaho, the youngest was 13!
Current law allows 16 and 17 year old teens to marry with parental consent, however children under 16 can marry with a judge's consent. So kids as young as 13 have married in Idaho in the last 10 years.
Rep. Melissa Wintrow D- Boise, proposed to change all that and make the minimum age 16 with the consent of the child, parents and a court. Of course it passed right, because that would be common sense, NO! It was voted down the bill 39-28.
In most states, the minimum age is 18, so why did so many legislatures vote down the bill... well according to many who voted against it.."government overreach", with one representative stating “I do not think courts should be involved in marriage at all,” said Bryan Zollinger, R-Idaho Falls. “I don’t believe there should be a license required to get married. I think two willing people should be able to go and get married.”
Ok... maybe I am just not thinking clearly on this, so I need you to weigh in! Should kids younger than 16 be allowed to get married in Idaho? Remember, a 50 year old dude could theoretically marry a 13 year old...