JEFFERSON CITY Ƶ Currently, 16- and 17-year-olds can marry persons under the age of 21, with the consent of at least one parent. Bills in both the Missouri House and Senate aim to increase the minimum marriage age to 18, regardless of parental consent.
, which would do just that, was heard Tuesday by the House Children and Families committee.
For bill sponsor Sen. Tracy McCreery, D-Olivette, passing that bill is not only a legislative issue but a moral one.
ƵRaising the age of marriage to 18 is imperative to the health and welfare of Missouri children,Ƶ she said.
Survivors of child marriage and child welfare advocates gave emotional testimony in support of the legislation.
Dre Fields spoke on behalf of Unchained At Last, a nonprofit dedicated to ending forced and child marriage. He pointed out how few legal avenues minors have once they have entered a marriage.
ƵUnlike adults, minors in these situations cannot hire attorneys or file for divorce on their own,Ƶ he said. ƵIn effect, our laws hold them captive, forcing them to endure abuse, rape and servitude with no way out.Ƶ
Sheena Eastburn, a survivor of child marriage, shared her story with the committee for a second time. At barely 15, Eastburn said she entered an abusive marriage.
ƵI quit school because I was told to. I had no money. I tried to commit suicide. I ran away. The police took me back ... I tried to go to a domestic shelter, could not because I was not 18, could not even get the restraining order until my mother signed for it,Ƶ Eastburn said. ƵBut I was old enough to face the death penalty for his murder.Ƶ
Eastburn said she would not have spent 25 years in prison if a law like this had been in place when she was 15. She urged the committee to support the bill and protect young women and men.
Becca Powell, the director of advocacy and outreach at Unchained At Last, said this legislation is a step the state can take in the next few months to not only stop child marriages statewide but also make it harder for children to be trafficked in Missouri.
ƵOur current laws in Missouri mean a 16- or 17-year-old who lives here in Missouri can be legally trafficked for her citizenship,Ƶ Powell said. ƵAlso, a 16- or 17-year-old in any country in the world can be legally trafficked here into Missouri under the guise of marriage.Ƶ
Support for the legislation is bipartisan, with Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, sponsoring an identical bill, . The HouseƵs version, , already passed through the committee by a vote of 15-0 in February. HB 1200 is on the House calendar awaiting initial approval.