A new bill signed into law makes Virginia the first Southern state to abolish child marriage for all minors younger than 18 while eliminating the emancipation loophole.
FILE – Visitors mill around the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, Va., Jan. 8, 2020. The politically divided Virginia General Assembly is set to convene in a special session at the Capitol to consider compromise budget legislation that’s six months overdue. The House and Senate will kick off their work Wednesday morning, Sept 6, 2023.When she was 16, Sara Tasneem said she had been forced to marry her rapist while she was six months pregnant.
“I couldn’t even drive because I wasn’t old enough and he controlled my entire life,” said Tasneem, whoShe was one of several abuse victims who shared personal testimonies with Virginia lawmakers last month before the General Assembly ultimately voted to end the practice in the commonwealth. Gov. Glenn YoungkinWhen the law takes effect in July, Virginia will be the first Southern state to abolish child marriage for all minors, making 18 the legal age to do so.
“If someone is deemed to be a legal adult and otherwise has all the rights of an adult, then of course they should have the right to marry as well,” Hetzler said. “We talk about marriage being a fundamental right but now we want to deny that to legal adults.”Tammy Miller Jennings spoke in support of the bill on behalf of Virginia National Organization for Women, stating that she married at the age of 17 and divorced by the age of 21.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Postdoctoral Research Associate - Charlottesville, Virginia job with University of Virginia HealthA Postdoctoral Research Associate position in diffusion MRI acquisition, analysis and modeling is available at the University of Virginia School of Medicine under the supervision of Dr. Merry Mani, in the Department of Radiology.
Read more »
Virginia Becomes the First State in the South to End Child MarriageVirginia is the 12th U.S. state and first in the South to end child marriage, removing a loophole that allowed emancipated minors to marry.
Read more »
2024 March Madness First Four predictions, picks: Wagner vs. Howard, Virginia vs. Colorado StateThe Post’s Howie Kussoy makes his against the spread picks for Wagner vs. Howard and Virginia vs. Colorado State.
Read more »
Colorado State vs. Virginia prediction: March Madness First Four odds, picksThe Virginia Cavaliers should not be in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
Read more »
March Madness begins as Wagner beats Howard, Colorado State blows out Virginia to win First FourWagner held of a late rally by Howard for their first NCAA Tournament win in program history Tuesday.
Read more »
Colorado State cruises past Virginia in First FourFor nearly 14 minutes of game time and nearly an hour of real time, Virginia didn't score in a deflating 67-42 loss to Colorado State in the First Four Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio, a win that will allow the Rams to take on No. 7 seed Texas on Thursday.
Read more »