Right now, Missouri statutes prohibit anyone under 16 years old from getting married and anyone under 18 years old from getting married to another person who is at least 21 years old.
Both bills want to amend Missouri’s laws and change the state’s minimum legal marriage to 18 years old in all cases.
“This act repeals those provisions and no marriage license shall be issued in Missouri for individuals under 18 years of age,” both bills state within their language.
Missouri’s marriage laws have been a point of contention among lawmakers for several years, most notably during last year’s legislative session.
During a Senate floor meeting last April, State Sen. Mike Moon (R-Ash Grove) defended a pre-teen’s right to get married. Moon said he knew at least one person who got married at 12 years old and followed up with the comment, “Guess what, they’re still married.”
Another lawmaker, Missouri State Rep. Chris Sander (R-Jackson County), pushed for the state to redefine marriage within its constitution. Sander, who is openly gay, wanted the state to recognize marriage as an act between “two individuals” rather than one exclusively between opposite sexes.