CAPE CORAL, Florida (WBBH) — Florida is one of 18 states where marrying your first cousin is legal, a fact that surprises many residents and has sparked questions about why the practice remains permissible.
West Virginia, which is often joked about for cousin marriages, banned the practice in 1955, but Florida has yet to follow suit.
If Florida lawmakers had passed House Bill 733, cousin marriages would have been banned, but the bill did not pass. Doug Schmidt from Cape Coral commented, “It’s pretty unusual they would have that still in the state. It should have been banned many years ago.”
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Historically, notable figures such as Albert Einstein and President Franklin Roosevelt married their cousins. Kim Schmidt from Punta Gorda humorously remarked, “Well, it makes for a nice small wedding party.”
The practice, though unusual, accounts for only about 250,000 marriages nationwide. One resident pointed out, “I mean, if you have the same grandpa, you don’t want Grandpa Joe to be on both sides of the aisle at your wedding.”
Cousin marriages are permitted in some countries, including those in the Middle East and North Africa. Margie Vanbentizen, a Polish native, stated, “No! Definitely not in Poland.”
Doug Schmidt from Cape Coral expressed confusion over the lack of legislative action, saying, “I can’t understand why you wouldn’t take action just to get it off the legislation.”
Several bills faced challenges, as the Legislature experienced significant gridlock, failing to pass priorities, including a budget or decreases in property taxes.
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