California just became the latest state to end child marriage. Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1267, closing the legal loopholes that allowed minors to marry. For Courtney Stodden, the moment carries a very personal weight. She was 16 when she married Doug Hutchison, then 50, in 2011, and it was all legal at the time.
Stodden spent years working alongside the advocacy group Unchained At Last and other survivors to make this happen. After the signing, she wrote,“Today, California protected the next one,”and followed it with“California is only the beginning. all 50, baby.”She’s already vowing to keep pushing until every state follows suit.
Advocates point out that child marriage remains technically legal in most U.S. states, often through parental consent or judicial exceptions. This law makes California a rare bipartisan win on an issue that usually flies under the radar. Stodden’s story put a well-known face on it, and now the movement has real momentum.
Do you think the rest of the country will follow California’s lead?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.