Rep. Christensen Bill Removing Race from Marriage License Applications Advances
St. Paul, Minn. – Today, the Judiciary and Civil Law Division approved Rep. Shelly Christensen’s (DFL – Stillwater) legislation to remove the requirement that couples record their race when applying for marriage certificates. Minnesota is one of only seven states that requires the information.
“This law is intrusive and unnecessary,” said Rep. Christensen. “There is no reason Minnesotans should be required to share information about their race in order to get married.”
According to a Minnesota law passed in 1977, couples must provide names, addresses, dates and places of birth, signatures, races, social security numbers, and previous marriages when applying for a marriage license. When passed, the law followed standards set by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), which are no longer in place. A similar law in Virginia was struck down by a federal judge last October for violating the 14th Amendment right to due process.
The bill will be heard by the House Health and Human Services Policy Committee next.
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