Oklahoma House Bill Aims to Privatize Marriage

According to the Tenth Amendment Center, Oklahoma is set to introduce a bill into the state’s House of Representatives that would effectively privatize marriage in the state of Oklahoma.

Rep. Todd Russ (R) filed H.B. 2235 for introduction on February 4th.  If the bill passes, it will end the issuance of state marriage licenses. Instead, the state will record certificates of marriage after a marriage has been contracted by a formal ceremony and solemnized in front of at least two witnesses. Marriages that aren’t contracted by a formal ceremony would be acknowledged by filling out an affidavit of common law marriage with a court clerk.

The bill would replace all references to marriage “licenses” in state law with “certificates.” The legislation would not invalidate any marriage licenses issued prior to the passage of the bill.

If passed, H.B. 2235 would do two things: first, it would overturn the rulings of federal judges that have overstepped their boundaries by overturning state laws defining marriage. Secondly, the bill gets the state out of the business of defining marriage entirely. 

“Licenses are used as a way to stop people from doing things,” said Michael Boldin of the Tenth Amendment Center. “My personal relationship should not be subject to government permission.”

The news of this legislation brings to mind a quote by Austin Petersen that sums up what we who call ourselves libertarians believe. “I want to live in a world where gay married couples can defend their marijuana fields with fully automatic-assault rifles.”

This bill brings us one step closer to keeping the state out of our bedrooms and our wallets.