LANSING Mich. June 22, 2023 — The House passed legislation to ban child marriage in Michigan yesterday. State Rep. Kara Hope (D-Holt) introduced this legislation three times previously under previous Republican-controlled legislatures, only to see it die in committee. After the vote, Hope issued the following statement on the House’s passage of the bill:
“Child marriage is nothing but an instrument of abuse. Human traffickers come to Michigan, because, shockingly, there is no minimum age to consent to marry. Parents sometimes force their children into marriage to evade their responsibilities or because their children have become pregnant, sometimes by a statutory rapist. It is long past time for change. I’m extremely proud of the hard work my colleagues have done to protect our children — especially our girls — and look forward to the governor signing this ban into law.”