South Dakota lawmakers voted 8-5 to reject a bill proposing to raise the minimum age of marriage from 16 to 18.
The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Kadyn Wittman, aimed to address concerns about child marriages, with Wittman highlighting that 81% of minors married in the state were girls marrying adult men.
Opponents argued the bill infringed on parental rights and suggested it conveyed a stance on premarital sex.
Lawmakers debated the hypothetical scenarios and expressed differing views on whether raising the age of consent or marriage was a more appropriate approach to address concerns of sexual exploitation.
The bill’s defeat sparked discussions about the need for future legislative action to protect vulnerable individuals involved in early marriages.