Release: Rep. Kaohly Her's Bill to End Child Marriages Receives First Public Hearing
Between 2000 and 2010, nearly 250,000 children were married in the U.S.
ST. PAUL, MN – Today, chief author Rep. Kaohly Her presented legislation to eliminate child marriages in a Judiciary Finance and Civil Law committee hearing. Ninety percent of child marriages occur between individuals with a significant enough age gap that, if not for the marriage, a sexual relationship would constitute statutory rape.
“Around the world, more than 700 million women have lost their childhoods when they were married as children. For most of them, their marriages meant years of abuse, poverty and illness,” said Rep. Her. “This isn’t just happening in developing countries. We know it’s happening in Minnesota and this system of abuse and exploitation should stop right here.”
Between 2000 and 2010, 248,000 children were married in the U.S. If passed, the bill would make marriages for children under 18 illegal in Minnesota and require proof of age during the marriage license application process.
Video of the hearing is available here.
Sen. Sandra Pappas is authoring companion legislation in the Senate.
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