I am often very proud of my beautiful, home state of Tennessee. That said, when you love someone or something you can't remain quiet when they're screwing up and Tennessee is heading towards a screw up if they try to pass this "common law" bill. I was a bit suspicious because of the way the headline was worded in WTVC 9, a Chattanooga news station. They noted that detractors were claiming the bill would do away with age limit opening up legality of child brides.
Well above you should see a tweet embed with a video of the bill's sponsor making it plain that, yes, this would mean to supersede any current age limits to marriage in the state of Tennessee. Tennessee has an age of consent at 18. That's actually higher than practically every state it borders. That said, who needs to wait until 18 if you move in with your 15 year old girlfriend and call it "common law marriage," right?
If you are a Tennessean, I
urge you to do as I'll be doing. Call your representatives make it clear that Republican or Democrat, this is not a right versus left issue but a right versus wrong one.
HB 0233, if passed, would be far more embarrassing than the famous "roadkill bill" of the 90s (TCA 70-4-115, if you kill it on your car grill you can barbecue it on the backyard grill). Unlike the roadkill bill, however, this would lead to more than embarassment, the abuse of vulnerable children and a loophole allowing sexual predators and groomers to hide behind Tennessee Code Annotated.
This can't be allowed to stand. Please, write your Tennessee state representatives and express your feelings on HB 0233 before it makes it any further. Meanwhile, I'll leave you with the disturbing details of how Tennessee legislator John Rose met his very own child bride.
Please say
no to the proposed child grooming and child bride bill in Tennessee!
How does Tennessee ban sharia law but allow old men to marry children?