California Moves to End Child Marriage

California is moving closer to prohibiting child marriage, with the Senate unanimously approving bill AB 1267. This legislative advancement, championed by model Courtney Stodden, seeks to establish 18 as the minimum legal age for marriage within the state for the first time. Stodden has been actively engaged with lawmakers, sharing her own experience of being married at 16 to a significantly older partner. She emphasizes that a marriage license does not grant a child the rights or resources of an adult.

The bill, which previously passed the Assembly, now returns for final approval before potentially heading to Governor Gavin Newsom's desk. Stodden, working with the organization Unchained at Last, is encouraging Californians to contact their assemblymembers to support the bill. She highlighted that California is currently one of only three states without a specified minimum marriage age.

Stodden's advocacy stems from her personal history, having married actor Doug Hutchison at 16 in 2011 and later divorcing him in 2020, describing the marriage as one where she felt taken advantage of. Her activism aims to prevent others from enduring similar experiences, underscoring the importance of protecting children.