Gov. Perdue Closes Embarassing Loophole

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue signed legislation Tuesday that closes a loophole in state law that allowed couples of any age to get married without parental consent in the case of a pregnancy.

Prompted by the case of a pregnant woman who married a 15-year-old boy, the law bans teens under 16 from marrying and deletes language in the state code that allowed a minor to wed regardless of age or parental consent if there is a pregnancy.

The bill allows 16- or 17-year-olds to marry, but only with the approval of a parent or guardian and the confirmation of a probate judge.

State Rep. Bobby Franklin, a Marietta Republican, had said the bill would help right the "embarrassment" Georgia suffered last year.

He was referring to the case of 37-year-old Lisa Lynnette Clark, who pleaded guilty last month to statutory rape on charges of having sex with a 15-year-old friend of her teenage son.

Too bad reality has to sneak up and smack politicians in the forehead before they realize that an existing law is an "embarassment" to the state.

Maybe next time they will take the offensive approach and change the law before someone's life gets all screwed up.

Then again, state laws are like traffic lights at intersections. A certain number of people have to suffer before any changes are even considered.