Lawmakers look at young marriages
(MOBILE, AL) March 1 - Alabama lawmakers are trying to slow things down for teens who want to make a life-long commitment.
Jeff and Tonya Weaver are newlyweds. They were married three months ago in front of family members on both sides. Jeff is 18 and Tonya is 17. They have a house in Semmes and they are thinking about adopting Some lawmakers say marriage is too big of a responsibility especially for 14, 15, and 16-year-olds who get married in Alabama. They want to boost the legal marriage age from 14 to 16, and, teens who want to say "I do" at 16 and 17 must get their parents permissions first.
Mobile marriage official Richard T. Johnson said, "On occasion you marry some 14-year-old girl who looks like they're 12 ,and you feel bad about it." Johnson marries them anyway. He's a marriage official at the probate court and marries young girls, often to older men. He said it is not uncommon, "I see people get married almost on their 14th birthday, with parental consent." Alabama judges back the proposed age hike. Compared to surrounding states, Alabama has the lowest age requirement. Teens must be 16 in Florida and Georgia, and you have to be 21 in Mississippi . As a result, teens cross state lines all the time to get hitched in Alabama. Johnson said he does not ask why. "The only one I ever asked, is they told me that she was going to run away and live with him in sin and so we just went ahead and did it."
Jeff and Tonya say they know they are young, but they had different reasons. Tonya said, "I just fell in love with him. I just wanted to be with him." Probate judges and marriage officials say they don't watch the success rate of teen marriages, but they're watching the bill closely which is awaiting a vote in the house.
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Gigi Barnett is the NBC 15 NEWS education reporter and brings your Kids and Schools report daily.
