Alabama votes to end marriage licenses

[brooklynite]

Source: The Hill

Alabama's House voted on Thursday to end the requirement for a marriage license in the state.

The bill ends the requirements for both a license and a wedding ceremony, according to AL.com. If the governor signs the legislation, marriage in the state will only require a couple to file for a certificate.

After being passed by the state Senate and House, the bill now goes to Gov. Kay Ivey (R) to be potentially signed into law.

The legislation works around the Alabama probate judges who have refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses since the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/445388-alabama-votes-to-end-marriage-licenses

[SWBTATTReg]

1. When will Alabama realize that all they are doing, is hurting their own economic development ...

for the foreseeable future? Who in the future is going to really want to live there? Companies will seriously look at the operating environment and of course the pool of available labor, and see that they'll probably have some issues in attracting skilled workers who want to work there. I have family (or had family there) in Huntsville, Alabama/northern part of Alabama (they moved away to other states to retire/etc.).

[DBoon]

7. my guess is some people would rather be poor and backwards

Than have "foreigners" with strange ideas move into their state

[Progressive Jones]

22. Gawd is their gubment... nt

[turbinetree]

2. So does the IRS recognize this bullshit when it comes to filing taxes...........................

who is head of the household...............so now its all common law marriages, nope.................

https://www.alabamalegalhelp.org/resource/common-law-marriage-in-alabama

[procon]

3. Would such a marriage be legal and recognized

as valid in other states? The responsible thing to do would be to fire the judges for refusing to perform their duties. The lawmakers are too timid to stand up to the powerful religious factions that have usurped the law and replaced it with church doctrine.

We are well on the road to becoming a theocracy.

[marybourg]

11. If the state sets out reasonable requirements, here

“couples file for certificates”, and couples follow the requirements, then other states and the federal government will recognize the marriage. Many states, including NY, don’t require a ceremony. In NY, you can marry with a contract, although few people do.

[procon]

16. No, it's not about a ceremony, but why doesn't the

Couple have to phyically appear before some state designated official to sign off their documents to make their marriage legal? At the very least just to determine that no one was a minor or being coerced to do something against their will.

There's already a pretty low bar on what constitutes an official who can sign off on marraige licenses. For $20 you can get an official "pastor" card from some so-called churches on the internet and set up your very own wedding chapel in your backyard tool shed. It's all perfectly legal and the marraiges are legit, but the couples still have to appear in person.

[TomSlick]

21. The short answer is yes.

A marriage that is valid in the State in which it was contracted - yes, marriage is essentially a contract - must be recognized in all other States. For example, if a couple have entered into a common law marriage in a State that authorizes such and then move into a State that does not recognize common law marriage, they are nevertheless married.

Similarly, if first cousins marry in State that allows such marriages move into a State that forbids such marriages, they remain married.

Now, a question from a recent Arkansas Bar Exam: Husband and wife marry in Arkansas - which is not a community property State. They move to Texas - which is a community property State. They then move to Louisiana - and nobody understands the law in Louisiana. Question: Are they still brother and sister?

[FakeNoose]

4. How about when the couple divorces and kids and property are involved?

Or maybe they haven't thought that far ahead.

[left-of-center2012]

5. What happens to divorce?

Do you still need to get divorced of you go your separate ways?

[brooklynite]

10. Keep in mind we're talking about Marriage LICENCES, not Marriage CERTIFICATES.

Once the marriage is certified, all your rights are protected.

[ToxMarz]

6. The reasoning for what they are doing is wrong

But why should there be anymore to marriage than this as far as the government is concerned. The government shouldn't be in the marriage business except that we have enacted by law so many benefits that come with marriage that there needs to be some way legally to confer these benefits/right. That should be their only role.

[Nasruddin]

18. Marriage as a government concern

Is probably passee.
Unwinding it isn't going to be easy - glad it's Alabama that's going to take the hammering.

[Hoyt]

8. This actually makes same-sex marriage easier, avoiding having to deal with bigoted judges. n/t

Of course, the GOPer "gubnor" can still veto this one.

[BamaRefugee]

13. that's what it seems like, offhand, but w/o more info,how are they defining "couple"???

[aggiesal]

9. I've been saying this for the last 10 years ...

Government needs to get out of the Marriage Making business.
Issue the certificate.
If the loving couple wants to get married in what ever church they
want to get married in or simply have a wedding vows ceremony,
that's their business.

Government should only have to record the union for tax purposes,
spousal benefits, ..., that's it.

[groundloop]

12. Agreed. IMHO this is an improvement.

[aggiesal]

24. I agree, this is an improvement n/t

[OriginalGeek]

14. My conservative libertarian/republican atheist friend

has been wishing for this forever. He doesn't care who loves who - he cares about getting government out of personal business. And as long as gay couples have every right that straight couples have I'm not sure I'm not in agreement with this one thing.

[IronLionZion]

15. Sounds like this is a good thing

and is perfectly legal and valid marriage

Under the new law, a judge will only need to record an affidavit filed in a courthouse or county office to make any marriage official.

Advocates say the new law will require judges to treat all marriages as equal under Alabama law. Critics say it provides cover to biased judges and harms the wedding industry.

[Scalded Nun]

17. So does the man then get to yell 'Divorce' 3 times to dump his current partner

More importantly, does the woman get that same right?

If this was pushed by conservatives, there is at least one ulterior motive in there, probably more than one.

[sandensea]

19. "Well, sweetie," an Alabama Republican just told his sister,

"Looks like we waited too long to make it official!"

[BigDemVoter]

20. This doesn't bother me one little bit.

Now if these motherfuckers were trying to legitimize one type of marriage over another, THEN I would have a problem. . .

Now I don't think it's ANY surprise these ass clowns are trying to say that one kind of marriage is less valid than another type.

[Jake Stern]

23. Have no problem with the concept at all.

In fact wish more states would follow suit. I'd rather file a simple affidavit but if a couple wants to say some magical words in front of a clergyman they can do that too.

Win-win.