Virginia lawmakers have voted to raise the marriage age to 18. Most states haven't

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The bill awaits action by the governor and would bar minors from getting married — something activists say leads to abuses.

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Combs was able to escape her marriage at age 18 — temporarily leaving two children behind, initially facing homelessness and eventually getting a divorce. Naomi Cahn, a professor at the University of Virginia Law School, said the movement to raise the marriage age has gained ground over the past decade. She attributed that to advocacy and shifting norms around pregnancy outside marriage, which is often the motivation for teen marriage.

Delaware was the first state to set the minimum age at 18, in 2018. Washington was the most recent after Gov. Jay Inselee signed legislation this year. Resistance comes from different ideological views too, said Casey Swegman with the Tahirih Justice Center, based in Falls Church, Va., which advocates on behalf of immigrant girls and for raising the minimum age to marry.

 

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