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Senate rejects bill to raise minimum marriage age to 18
Summary
Senate Bill 156, which would have raised the minimum legal age for marriage to 18 statewide, failed in the South Dakota Senate after floor debate over parental rights, trafficking risks, and alternative safeguards; the final vote was 16–19 against the measure.
PIERRE, S.D. — The South Dakota Senate voted down Senate Bill 156, a proposal to raise the minimum legal age for marriage to 18, with the final tally 16 yeas and 19 nays.
Senator Davis (State Senator), the bill’s sponsor, framed the measure as a child‑protection step intended to close what the sponsor described as a loophole that currently allows 16‑ and 17‑year‑olds to marry with a single parent’s signature. Davis cited…
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