For the second time in the past few years, lawmakers in Alabama have introduced a bill that would do away with marriage licenses. The state Senate has approved the bill which, if passed, will eliminate marriage licenses altogether.
In addition to not needing a marriage license, there would no longer be a requirement for an official ceremony. You would only have to submit a few documents to a probate judge that you had met all of the requirements, such as, not already being married, that you were wed, and that you met the age requirement.
The cost would be the same as it is now, and the requirement of a ceremony to solemnize a marriage would be eliminated.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Range, says the new law would take the state out of any role in marriage ceremonies, which he says would properly separate church and state.
Back in 2015, the state offered up another such bill, which then failed to make it into law. This was during the heat of the gay marriage debate.
So what does this mean for you if you’re headed for the altar? Tell us what you think.
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