You Can No Longer Marry Your First Cousin

Did you know that it was legal in the state of Tennessee to marry your first cousin? Not anymore though. On April 11, the Tennessee state legislature passed a bill that makes it illegal for first cousins to get married in the state.

According to lawmakers, the bill that was passed by the house on Thursday fixes what was an unintended loophole in a law passed by members of Tennessee’s 18th General Assembly back in 1829. In 1960, Tennessee’s Attorney General at the time wrote an opinion that the law did not actually ban first cousins from getting married in the state. State Representative Darren Jernigan, (D-Old Hickory) sponsored the bill. In committee, he suggested there was a potential public health issue with first cousins being allowed to marry. Tennessee at the beginning of the week was one of 19 states where it was technically legal for you to marry your first cousin. But here we are at the end of the week and that practice is now banned. At least it will be once the bill is signed into law by Governor Bill Lee.