From the NYT:

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas’ marriage-age crisis is over. A law that mistakenly allowed anyone — even toddlers — to marry with parental permission was repealed by a measure signed into law Wednesday by Gov. Mike Beebe, ending months of embarrassment for the state and confusion for county clerks.

Months of embarrassment? This is Arkansas. When have they not been an embarrassment?

Lawmakers didn’t realize until after the end of last year’s regular session that a law they approved, intended to establish 18 as the minimum age for marriage, instead removed the minimum age to marry entirely. An extraneous ”not” in the bill allowed anyone who was not pregnant to marry at any age with permission.

The bill read: ”In order for a person who is younger than eighteen (18) years of age and who is not pregnant to obtain a marriage license, the person must provide the county clerk with evidence of parental consent to the marriage.”

I’m surprised they managed to catch the problem. In March 2006, the State of Arkansas Department of Education goal — yes, goal — for high school (9-12) literacy proficiency by the end of the year was 35.5%.

Next on the agenda: No Legislator Left Behind.

Filed under: Politics is Personal, Sexxx, Profiles in Governance