Yes.
Senate Bill 504, which removed exceptions in the law that allowed minors to marry with parental consent and court approval, recently passed the House 51 to 36 after unanimously passing the Senate in March. All 36 no votes were cast by Republicans.
Some against the bill, such as Rep. Justin Humphrey, argued that the government should not interfere with parents’ rights. Others argued the bill would impede the creation of stable families; Humphrey anecdotally cited knowing people who married as minors and “remained married until they’re dead.”
SB 504 proponents argued that, in addition to high rates of abuse, child marriage undermines statutory rape laws by legalizing what would otherwise be considered sex crimes. They also argued that because minors lack the legal rights of adults, child marriage can easily become forced, and that minors face immense barriers to leaving such a marriage.
Governor Kevin Stitt signed SB 504 on May 13, making Oklahoma the 18th state with a minimum marriage age of 18.
Oklahoma Watch partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims.
Sources
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