Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation to prevent child marriage and protect minors.

The bills raise the minimum age for a person to consent to marriage to 18, according to Whitmer’s office.

“Keeping Michiganders safe and healthy is one of my top priorities, and today’s bipartisan bills will build on our efforts to protect young people—especially young women—from abuse,” said Whitmer. “As a county prosecutor, I went after those who used their power to prey on young people, and as governor, I am proud to sign legislation to strengthen protections for children and survivors into law. Together, we can make Michigan a safe, welcoming state where you can grow up and pursue your potential.”

  • @Treczoks
    link
    748 months ago

    Now this will disappoint a lot of “religious conservatives”!

    • Chozo
      link
      fedilink
      578 months ago

      🌎👨‍🚀🔫👨‍🚀

      Always have been.

    • @sirboozebum
      link
      198 months ago

      “BoTh siDeS aRe tHe SaMe” - Half of Reddit and Lemmy

    • @TheCelticPirate
      link
      868 months ago

      Surprisingly it’s allowed in a lot of states. Unsurprisingly Republicans are fighting laws like this.

      • @WHYAREWEALLCAPS
        link
        388 months ago

        Right? It’s like people forgot about that one Republican talking about how he knew women who’d gotten married when they were 12 and were happy when defending their state’s child marriage laws.

        • @Algaroth
          link
          18
          edit-2
          3 months ago

          deleted by creator

          • @Buddahriffic
            link
            58 months ago

            For a long time, (certain) people thought that the best way to deal with a rape victim who got pregnant was to marry her to her rapist. Marriage makes everything ok!

    • @electrogamerman
      link
      328 months ago

      Wait a fucking damn one minute! I as gay man im damaging children by wanting them to learn that there are different families and each deserves respect, but marrying a child is legal?

      • @jumperalex
        link
        English
        78 months ago

        Correct.

        Next question.

        I want off this timeline!

    • @Burn_The_Right
      link
      278 months ago

      It was, thanks to conservatives. And now it’s not, thanks to normal people.

    • @DiagnosedADHD
      link
      178 months ago

      It said support was bipartisan, which if you know anything about Michigan conservatives and Whitmer its pretty shocking they’d agree on anything

      • mrnotoriousman
        link
        fedilink
        58 months ago

        They were probably talking on a more national level, where it isn’t bipartisan

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        18 months ago

        Can we get a list of who voted against it? There’s usually a couple, with some contrived nonsensical explanation

    • @SpezBroughtMeHere
      link
      -48 months ago

      I’m curious as to why she’s been in office for four years and only now thinks it’s an issue that needs addressed. I mean, finally, good. But shouldn’t something like that be day one? I guess roads were more important.

      • Zombie-Mantis
        link
        5
        edit-2
        8 months ago

        The governor signs bills, she doesn’t write them, so that’s more of a question for the Michigan legislature. You’re still right, & this should’ve been done years ago, but at least it’s happening. Many states still allow it.

        • @SpezBroughtMeHere
          link
          18 months ago

          My bad. I was under the impression that the governor could issue executive orders like what happen during covid. Probably reserved for things they deem important.

          • @dhork
            link
            English
            08 months ago

            In the US federal government (and I assume most, if not all, state governments), the job of the legislature is to create laws, and the job of the Executive is to enforce and execute them. (The job of the judiciary is to interpret the laws and apply them to individual cases through trials).

            Executive orders are directives issued by the President or Governor that clarify and explain how laws are to be enforced by the Federal agencies under the Executive Branch. They can’t create new law, as that is Congress’s job, but they can clarify how agencies are meant to enforce the law, and in certain cases Congress may explicitly grant certain powers to agencies, so the Executive can make orders on those matters that have the force of law as well.

      • @Chunk
        link
        38 months ago

        Also she was probably just as surprised as the people in this thread that child marriage wasn’t illegal.

  • @jeffw
    link
    English
    478 months ago

    House Bill 4296, sponsored by Rep. Betsy Coffia, D – Traverse City, is a grandfather law that ensures minors who are currently married do not lose their spousal benefits under the new laws.

    That’s just weird to read

    • parrot-party
      link
      fedilink
      488 months ago

      It’s horrible but trying to force-ably separate them at this point would only lead to the minors being hidden from view, deepening the abuse. Additionally, the minors are highly unlikely to actually leave their spouse, no matter how bad their situation is. Adding fuel to the “society doesn’t want us together” would only serve to deepen the minor’s distrust in everyone but their spouse, making it much harder to help them from any ongoing abuse.

      • @jeffw
        link
        English
        78 months ago

        Yeah, not saying it’s bad… just weird

  • sarcasticsunrise
    link
    fedilink
    438 months ago

    I’m not too well versed on Whitmer’s political stance, but she keeps pissing a certain kind of people off. She could be some milquetoast lib for all I know but this is clearly a win, amirite? I can’t conceive of how any village elders who trot about PROTECT CHILDREN could possibly object to this. Couldn’t happen in my America

  • @paddirn
    link
    English
    248 months ago

    Yay, but also… it’s 2023, why wasn’t this already the case?

  • ArugulaZ
    link
    fedilink
    238 months ago

    Now the rednecks will want to kidnap her even more.

  • @TenderfootGungi
    link
    English
    228 months ago

    Child marriages should be illegal federally with zero tolerance or exceptions.

  • Alien Nathan Edward
    link
    fedilink
    208 months ago

    Christian conservatives be like “Oh no, what transparently thin veil will I use to cover child sex slavery now?”

  • @xc2215x
    link
    198 months ago

    A good move from Governor Whitmer.

  • @Smacks
    link
    178 months ago

    It wasn’t illegal in the first place?!

    • TurtleJoe
      link
      178 months ago

      Lol, it’s legal in the vast majority of states.

      As of July 2023, ten states have banned underage marriages, with no exception: Delaware (2018),[3] New Jersey (2018),[4] Pennsylvania (2020),[5] Minnesota (2020),[6] Rhode Island (2021),[7] New York (2021),[8] Massachusetts (2022),[9] Vermont (2023),[10] Connecticut (2023)[11] and Michigan (2023).[12]

      It’s especially super cool when parents marry their underage teenage daughter to her rapist, and then he becomes her legal guardian. I’ll let you guess which major political party overwhelmingly supports this.

      • @nelly_man
        link
        English
        38 months ago

        Not only is it legal in most states, it’s actively kept legal. It’s not just some old, irrelevant law that only exists because people haven’t noticed.

        E.g., here’s an exchange from Missouri a few years ago where a state senator references an attempt to end child marriage.

        https://youtu.be/9H6UJ-uCrgc?si=hihhxIuOJl7N9ror