FRANKFORT, Ky -- No votes, but a Senate Committee hears testimony on setting a minimum age for marriage in Kentucky. Currently there is no state law that sets a minimum age for children to be married in Kentucky. Since 2000, there have been 11,000 legal child marriages in the state.
A Senate bill would do three things: 1) prevent forced marriages of children 2) Require both parties to marriage be on equal legal footing 3) Prevents early marriages. It seeks to set the minimum age for a person to get married in Kentucky at 18.
One lawmaker noted that passage of the bill would address at least one stereotype of Kentucky, child marriage. While the measure was saw about 45 minutes of debate, there was no vote. It may be brought back at a later date.