A California bill that would prohibit marriage for anyone under 18 has been sent to the governor, sparking a broader debate over how the law should balance protecting minors with allowing young people to make certain legal decisions.
The legislation would establish 18 as the minimum age for marriage in California. Supporters argue that minors can be vulnerable to coercion and abuse and say people under 18 should not be legally permitted to enter into a marriage.
But the issue is more complicated than it might initially appear. Some major civil rights and reproductive rights organizations have opposed an outright ban, raising concerns about the impact on legal autonomy for young people, including emancipation and independent healthcare decisions.
On The Roggin Report, contributors Brian Harnik and Brad Ward discussed where the line should be drawn between protecting minors and allowing them to make their own choices.
Harniksaid he believes marriage should be limited to adults.
“I think absolutely not,” Harnik said when asked whether anyone under 18 should legally be allowed to marry. He compared the marriage age to other legal restrictions placed on minors, arguing that marriage represents a major lifelong commitment with significant consequences.
Ward agreed with the basic premise, while pointing to some of the legal complications that can arise when minors become involved in marriage.
“You know, minors also can’t hire attorneys,” Ward said, noting the potential difficulty for a minor who might later need legal representation for a divorce.
The discussion also focused on the larger question of when protecting a minor should override that young person’s ability to make an independent decision.
Ward described that as a difficult question and said there is “no magic number” for determining when someone should have the ability to make certain adult choices, while also pointing to 18 as an established legal threshold for some decisions.
Harnik argued that marriage should follow that same threshold, saying, “An adult is deemed to be 18. Let’s leave it there.”
The debate has implications beyond Sacramento, including for families and young people throughout the Coachella Valley and across California. The legislation now awaits action from the governor.
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