In much of the United States, people can get married at the age of 16 if they have parental permission. However, in 13 states, even younger people can get married under some conditions. In North Carolina, children as young as 14 used to be able to get married if they were pregnant and had a judge’s permission. As a result, the state was a known place to go if you were an adult who wanted to marry a child. But North Carolina lawmakers recently passed a bill that changes the legal marriage age from 14 to 16. The law now goes to the state’s Governor, Roy Cooper, for final approval and he is expected to sign it. The new law also limits the permissible age difference between a 16-year-old and their marriage partner to four years. This year, state lawmakers listened to the stories of several former child brides. One of them, Judy Wiegand of Kentucky, appeared before a North Carolina House committee in June to support the reform. “It is the responsibility of the government to protect all of the children,” Wiegand told lawmakers. Wiegand was 13 when she and an older teenage boy the father of her baby married in the 1970s. She said that until she became an adult, the law left her largely unprotected against an abusive husband. Jean Fields is 72 years old. She got married at the age of 15 to a man in his 20s. Fields had three children by the time she was 21. She later separated from her husband who, she said, had abused her psychologically for years. Groups working to persuade lawmakers to change the marriage age in North Carolina say there are more women with similar stories. Those women, however, are uncomfortable talking in public about their experiences.
Title: North Carolina Plans to Raise Marriage Age to 16
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5299/D.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='North Carolina Plans to Raise Marriage Age to 16' data-article-id='5853'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='8104'>In much of the United States, people can get married at the age of 16 if they have parental permission. </span> <span data-start-time='8104' data-end-time='16854'>However, in 13 states, even younger people can get married under some conditions.</span> <span data-start-time='16854' data-end-time='28542'>In North Carolina, children as young as 14 used to be able to get married if they were pregnant and had a judge’s permission. </span> <span data-start-time='28542' data-end-time='38667'>As a result, the state was a known place to go if you were an adult who wanted to marry a child.</span> <span data-start-time='38667' data-end-time='50063'>But North Carolina lawmakers recently passed a bill that changes the legal marriage age from 14 to 16. </span> <span data-start-time='50063' data-end-time='60313'>The law now goes to the state’s Governor, Roy Cooper, for final approval and he is expected to sign it.</span> <span data-start-time='60313' data-end-time='71875'>The new law also limits the permissible age difference between a 16-year-old and their marriage partner to four years.</span> <span data-start-time='71875' data-end-time='80521'>This year, state lawmakers listened to the stories of several former child brides. </span> <span data-start-time='80521' data-end-time='93125'>One of them, Judy Wiegand of Kentucky, appeared before a North Carolina House committee in June to support the reform.</span> <span data-start-time='93125' data-end-time='101750'>“It is the responsibility of the government to protect all of the children,” Wiegand told lawmakers. </span> <span data-start-time='101750' data-end-time='111667'>Wiegand was 13 when she and an older teenage boy the father of her baby married in the 1970s. </span> <span data-start-time='111667' data-end-time='120917'>She said that until she became an adult, the law left her largely unprotected against an abusive husband.</span> <span data-start-time='120917' data-end-time='125292'>Jean Fields is 72 years old. </span> <span data-start-time='125292' data-end-time='130688'>She got married at the age of 15 to a man in his 20s. </span> <span data-start-time='130688' data-end-time='136521'>Fields had three children by the time she was 21. </span> <span data-start-time='136521' data-end-time='145354'>She later separated from her husband who, she said, had abused her psychologically for years.</span> <span data-start-time='145354' data-end-time='156604'>Groups working to persuade lawmakers to change the marriage age in North Carolina say there are more women with similar stories. </span> <span data-start-time='156604' data-end-time='164104'>Those women, however, are uncomfortable talking in public about their experiences.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5299/D.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=17994 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5299/what_is_permission.wav'>What is permission?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='consent or authorization'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5299/the_continued_or_prolonged_existence_of_something.wav'><span>the continued or prolonged existence of something</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5299/the_natural_satellite_of_the_earth.wav'><span>the natural satellite of the earth</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5299/consent_or_authorization.wav'><span>consent or authorization</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5299/a_building_for_housing_a_motor_vehicle_or_vehicles.wav'><span>a building for housing a motor vehicle or vehicles</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=17995 data-hint-location='16854' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5299/prior_to_the_new_bill_at_what_age_were_children_able_to_marry_in_north_carolina.wav'>Prior to the new bill, at what age were children able to marry in North Carolina?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='14'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5299/10.wav'><span>10</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5299/16.wav'><span>16</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5299/18.wav'><span>18</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5299/14.wav'><span>14</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=17996 data-hint-location='156604' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5299/those_women_however_are_uncomfortable_talking_in__blank__about_their_experiences.wav'>Those women, however, are uncomfortable talking in <span class='blank'>public</span> about their experiences.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='public'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5299/bowling.wav'><span>bowling</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5299/public.wav'><span>public</span></div><div 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