MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
JEFFERSON CITY -The House Children Committee passed on Wednesday a bill that would require premarital education or counseling in order for a couple to quickly get a marriage license.
The measure, sponsored by Rep. Sam Gaskill, R-Washburn, allows the counseling requirement to be fulfilled by a wide range of persons including a social worker, marriage or family therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker or religious representative.
Under current law, a marriage license is issued within three days. Gaskill's bill would keep the three-day delay. But if a couple refused premarital counseling, there would be a 30-day delay before the license would be issued.
Rep. Bill Boucher, D-Kansas City and a member of the committee, said that the divorce rate dropped 40 percent in one California township that has had a similar requirement for the past five years.
"It's important to take a look at why so many marriages are failing," Boucher said. "Maybe this is not the answer but we cannot continue having such a high divorce rate."
Support also was voiced by the sponsor of a similar bill.
"I considered that a 57 percent divorce rate in this state is a serious problem," said Rep. Tom Hoppe, D-Kansas City. "I think that the government has to do something because the family it's being destroyed."
But not everyone on the committee agreed.
"I think that this is something that should be done as a stronger suggestion rather than a law," said Rep. Joan Barry, D-St.Louis County.
Rep. Sue Shear, D-St. Louis County, warned the bill might lead to more unmarried couples.
Rep. Carol Stroke, D-St.Louis County, called the bill an intrusion by government.
But, to that kind of argument, Hoppe asked "Why do we worry about the end of the marriage and not at the beginning?"