Sometimes, the events of real life line up a little too closely with television. We’ve all seen the jokes about the Simpsons predicting the future, right? But there are some shows whose plot lines should stay in TV land — like anything from Law & Order: SVU. Unfortunately, Tennessee Republicans are making one SVU plot come to life with a bill that would eliminate age requirements for marriage in the state.
Introduced in January, H.B.233 aims to establish a common-law marriage class specifically for marriages between “one man” and “one woman.” The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Tom Leatherwood (R), told local outlet WJHL, “All this bill does is give an alternative form of marriage for those pastors and other individuals who have a conscientious objection to the current pathway to marriage in our law.”
