A New Hampshire Republican has argued against raising the marriage age to 18, saying teenage girls over the age of 16 are “mature and fertile.”
Republican Representative Jess Edwards Jr. added that he was concerned that a bill to protect minors from marriage could also make abortions more attractive to young women.
The controversial comment caused a chorus of gasps from his colleagues in the room. Despite his protests, they passed the bill for the next phase on Thursday.
Do you agree with the position that if we continually restrict the freedom of marriage as a legitimate social option, when we do this with people who are of ripe childbearing age and may have a pregnancy and a baby, then we are not in effect abortion a much more desirable alternative, while marriage could be the right solution for some freedom-loving couples?’ said Edwards.
Edwards took over as representative for Rockingham 31 in December 2022, and his current term ends on December 4 this year.
New Hampshire Republican Jess Edwards has argued against raising the marriage age to 18, saying teenage girls are ‘mature and fertile’
Republican Rep. Jess Edwards Jr (pictured) added that he was concerned that passing a bill to protect minors from marriage could also make abortions more attractive to young women.
N.H. Democrat Cassandra Levesque campaigned for the bill, which now awaits Gov. Chris Sununu’s signature after receiving approval from representatives on a 192-174 vote.
“I have sat with women and held their hands as they shared their child marriage journey with me,” she wrote on X after Thursday’s vote on her bill.
“I listened to their testimony. Please don’t despise what they’ve been through – be respectful. You are entitled to your opinion, but the victims also deserve respect.
“Many, many people have worked with me to fight to end child marriage in NH. We have spent years working, researching, learning, listening and advocating. I will be eternally grateful to them.’
New Hampshire is the latest state to crack down on child marriage laws. In most states the minimum age is 16 years.
Last month, Virginia became the twelfth state to ban it without any exceptions.
If New Hampshire’s bill becomes law, the neighboring state of Maine will be the last remaining state in the Northeast to allow marriages under the age of 18.
The Pine Tree State currently allows teens 16 and older to get married with written permission from their parents or legal guardians.
N.H. Democrat Cassandra Levesque (pictured) campaigned for the bill, which now awaits Gov. Chris Sununu’s signature after receiving approval from representatives Thursday
This could lead to New Hampshire teens crossing the border to get married, even if the marriage would not be recognized in their home state.
In 2018, Delaware became the first state to ban marriage under the age of 18. California, Mississippi, New Mexico and Oklahoma are the only states without a minimum marriage age.
According to Unchained at Last, a nonprofit that campaigns to end child marriage, nearly 300,000 children, some as young as ten, tied the knot in the U.S. between 2000 and 2018.
Unchained said most of these cases involved underage girls marrying adult men.
The UN classifies child marriage as a form of forced marriage because minors cannot give informed consent.