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Tennessee legislature passes bill banning marriages between first cousins
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| Contributor | IndyGeorgia |
| Last Edited | IndyGeorgia Apr 18, 2024 09:31pm |
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| Category | News |
| Author | Rebekah Riess |
| News Date | Friday, April 12, 2024 07:20:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | A bill prohibiting marriage between first cousins is headed to the Tennessee governor’s desk after the state house voted overwhelmingly to pass the measure Thursday.
Bill sponsor Democratic Rep. Darren Jernigan explained the bill would delete language in the law enacted by the state’s General Assembly in 1829, substituting “nor the child of a grandparent” with “nor the lineal descendant of a grandparent,” effectively prohibiting marriage between first cousins.
In 1960, Tennessee’s attorney general wrote an opinion, which determined the statute from 1829 did not prohibit marriage between cousins, Jernigan said.
“I do not know the intent of the 18th General Assembly, or why the AG held the opinion that he did, but I hope it’s safe to say that in 2024 we can close this loophole,” Jernigan said during a discussion of the bill on the house floor on Thursday.
Republican Rep. Gino Bulso, who was one of two representatives to vote against the bill, contended there was no “compelling state interest” to ban same-sex cousins from getting married, saying without an amendment, the new bill would “demonstrably” violate the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges same-sex marriage decision. |
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