Idaho State Capitol – On Friday, House Judiciary, Rules, and Administration voted to send H466 to the House floor. The proposed legislation would set a minimum age of marriage at 16 and require parental consent for any child to get married at the age of 16 or 17. Representative Melissa Wintrow/(D-Boise) voted for the legislation but expressed her desire to see further action in the future.
“Last year, I brought legislation to make the 17 the minimum age of marriage because I was compromising with my colleagues.” Rep. Wintrow said. “I think this bill is a first step to protecting Idaho children but I am concerned that we are going to make allowances for some of our most vulnerable to be taken advantage of. In Idaho, you cannot enter a contract, book a hotel room, buy cigarettes, join the military, and many other things until you are 18 years old, so why should you be vulnerable to getting married to someone much older than you?”
“Most parents are good parents but, sometimes, parents do not have their children’s best interests in mind. My child marriage legislation required that a 16 or 17-year-old get consent from parents or guardian and the court to get married. The proposed legislation would only require that Idaho children get a parent’s consent. When a child is making a decision this big, I can see no harm in having an extra set of eyes and an objective opinion.”
“I voted for the proposed child marriage legislation as a first step to protecting Idaho’s children from coerced or forced marriage. However, I do feel that there are some loopholes in the legislation that a predatory adult could take advantage of. I want to make sure that we are letting kids reach their full potential and I am nervous that we might be leaving some of Idaho’s children at risk of cutting their childhood and education short.”