Do you really need government's permission?

Do you think the State should be in the business of issuing marriage licenses? Should your personal relationship be subject to government permission? This week, the Alabama state Senate passed a bill that would end the practice of licensing marriages in the state.

Introduced by Sen. Greg Albritton (R-Bay Minette), Senate Bill 377 (SB377) would end state issued marriage licenses, while providing marriage contracts as an alternative. It passed through the Alabama state Senate by a 22-3 margin on May 19.

“When you invite the state into those matters of personal or religious import, it creates difficulties,” Sen. Albritton said about his bill in April. “Go back long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away. Early twentieth century, if you go back and look and try to find marriage licenses for your grandparents or great grandparents, you won’t find it. What you will find instead is where people have come in and recorded when a marriage has occurred.”

SB377 now moves to the state House, where it must pass through the House Judiciary Committee before it can receive a vote on the House floor.

Read more here.