Getting government out of marriage

[dogmush]

Apparently Alabama is still grappling with the gay marriage USSC decision, and their response....is to just quit issuing licenses to anyone.

Fill out a form, drop it off at the judge, poof, you're married. Anything more is between you, your partner and your god(s).

I recall this was what many of us said should happen back in 2015, and am happy to see that it might actually start happening.

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2018/01/bill_to_eliminate_marriage_lic_1.html



ETA: Sorry about formatting error, didn't mean to strikethrough.

[MikeB]

Apparently Alabama is still grappling with the gay marriage USSC decision, and their response....is to just quit issuing licenses to anyone.

Fill out a form, drop it off at the judge, poof, you're married. Anything more is between you, your partner and your god.

I recall this was what many of us said should happen back in 2015, and am happy to see that it might actually start happening.

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2018/01/bill_to_eliminate_marriage_lic_1.html

This is what Republicans should have done everywhere a long time ago. This was a dumb fight to take a side on. Government should never have been involved excepting maybe documenting that two people entered an agreement. For a party that claims government is often the problem, the GOP has been terrible about not actually getting government out of people’s lives.

[Jamisjockey]

This is what Republicans should have done everywhere a long time ago. This was a dumb fight to take a side on. Government should never have been involved excepting maybe documenting that two people entered an agreement. For a party that claims government is often the problem, the GOP has been terrible about not actually getting government out of people’s lives.

Because Republicans don't believe in freedom, just their version of statism. 

[Ben]

I was pleasantly shocked to read that yesterday. Honestly, Alabama is one of the last states where I would have expected that. You would think this is something a liberal state would do (for entirely different reasons), but I bet those lib run states look at all the money they'd lose if they did so.

[MechAg94]

Because Republicans don't believe in freedom, just their version of statism. 

More than likely they just had a lot of party activists who supported that position and like abortion it is one of those social conservative issues they can crow about at election time without doing much of anything in office. 

[MechAg94]

I was pleasantly shocked to read that yesterday. Honestly, Alabama is one of the last states where I would have expected that. You would think this is something a liberal state would do (for entirely different reasons), but I bet those lib run states look at all the money they'd lose if they did so.

I guess it is a happy medium.  Comply with the court decision without requiring state officials to approve or sign off on anything.  A simple legal registration does make a lot of sense.

[lupinus]

This is how it should be everywhere. Hell, it should also have a provision for the polyamorous marriage folks also, IMO. But that's a subject for another day.

I'm fine with gay folks being married, and find myself increasingly supporting of it. What I object to was the way it came about, and that it ultimately got government more entangled and IMO open to yet more entanglement. Rather than less.

This, however, seems to be a good thing though. If more states go this route it may actually be a positive unintended result.

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[Scout26]

Interesting that one of the first states to require marriage licenses (to prevent interracial marriage) is one of the first states to get rid of them .

[230RN]

I've said it for years decades a half-century: except for obvious legal issues, the relationship between two (or three, or four) individuals is none of my business, or yours, or the government's.

I'd maybe like to see renewable cohabitation permits for, say, five, ten, (or fifty) years to cover those legal issues. I'm sure the divorce rate would drop to near-zero since there would be an automatic "out" and chances are couples (of either gender) would resolve their issues if they knew there was that automatic "out" at some point in the future.

What set me on this path of half-assed thinking was that back in the sixties, a rancher came to town (Boulder, CO) to marry his horse.  Got some people to thinking, which was his purpose, of course.

[MechAg94]

Texas has rules about common law marriage which covers the cohabitation. 

[BlueStarLizzard]

You mean some politicians did something that actually makes sense?

I might die of shock.

Seriously, this is great. This is what should have happened all along. The only thing that would make this better is not having any sort of form at all.

[KD5NRH]

I've said it for years decades a half-century: except for obvious legal issues, the relationship between two (or three, or four) individuals is none of my business, or yours, or the government's.

There's the one benefit to the individual of marriage licensing that I can see; confirming the exact number of people already involved in the contract to share resources before you enter into it.  I don't really have a problem with polygamy/polyandry, but I'd damn sure have a problem with finding out after the contract is signed that there are also a couple of previously unmentioned deadbeats who will have a claim on any part of my resources.  Good recordkeeping and easy searchability would take care of that at the consumer end.
Of course, with three or more involved, then it could get really creative when one wishes to leave the contract, but that's a whole different kettle of fish.

[zahc]

3 words: Married Filing Jointly

[BlueStarLizzard]

3 words: Married Filing Jointly

Is there a reason we need that?

Person has income. Person pays taxes on that income. Enough. Done...

I guess the only question I can see coming up is who claims the dependents, and I don't see why that shouldn't be at the discretion of the parents (and I'll note that Mom and Dad played some tricks on who claimed me in any given year based on who would get more of a deduction on it)

[Scout26]

Personal and Corporate tax returns.


Line 1     Amount you made last year: $____________
Line 2     Multiply by 12%                    ____.12______
Line 3     Tax Due :                            $____________

[KD5NRH]

Personal and Corporate tax returns.


Line 1     Amount you made last year: $____________
Line 2     Multiply by 12%                    ____.12______
Line 3     Tax Due :                            $____________

Decimal points are too complex for Democrats.  Let them just multiply by 12 instead.

And make Tax Day also be Election Day.

[230RN]

Wouldn't that require them to have two extra fingers or something?

[Scout26]

Decimal points are too complex for Democrats.  Let them just multiply by 12 instead.

And make Tax Payment Day also be Election Day.

FTFY...

[Firethorn]

Apparently Alabama is still grappling with the gay marriage USSC decision, and their response....is to just quit issuing licenses to anyone.

Wait, was there more to Alabama's "marriage licenses" than filling out the form and paying what amounted to a filing fee?  (Reads article).  Okay, I think I can get with the differences.  Interesting. 

I shall place my libertarian stamp of approval on it for a movement in the right direction.  However, I will state that entering a contract as extensive and deep as a marriage should probably take a little more work.  Note:  I'm talking about the civil aspects of it, any religious aspects are up to couple themselves and their religious authorities.  Let the Catholics do their thing, the Muslims theirs, same with the protestants and Sikhs and Hindus, all the way down the line to the pastafarians.  As long as both entering the marriage are competent informed consenting adults, of course.

[lupinus]

3 words: Married Filing Jointly

More words-

Social engineering via the tax code should get a swift kick in the balls punting it out of the tax code.

But as that's about as likely as me winning the Powerball and being able to buy my own island with white sandy beaches and hot friendly native women, I'll take a simple government registry of individuals declaring they are married and filing it accordingly.

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[MechAg94]

Wait, was there more to Alabama's "marriage licenses" than filling out the form and paying what amounted to a filing fee?  (Reads article).  Okay, I think I can get with the differences.  Interesting. 

I shall place my libertarian stamp of approval on it for a movement in the right direction.  However, I will state that entering a contract as extensive and deep as a marriage should probably take a little more work.  Note:  I'm talking about the civil aspects of it, any religious aspects are up to couple themselves and their religious authorities.  Let the Catholics do their thing, the Muslims theirs, same with the protestants and Sikhs and Hindus, all the way down the line to the pastafarians.  As long as both entering the marriage are competent informed consenting adults, of course.

More work?  I don't know about that.  Legal contract signed with witness signatures?  That is what comes to mind for me.

[erictank]

FTFY...

"Hereforth and forever after, the date for payment of all required yearly Federal taxes shall be the last Friday in October."

[Scout26]

"Hereforth and forever after, the date for payment of all required yearly Federal taxes shall be the last Friday in October."

Close, you walk into the polling place, go down the row of tables paying your taxes to each taxing body [local(s), state, and Federal], then once you have written a check (or paid cash or with credit card) you are handed your ballot.   That should fix quite a few problems in this country....

[lupinus]

Close, you walk into the polling place, go down the row of tables paying your taxes to each taxing body [local(s), state, and Federal], then once you have written a check (or paid cash or with credit card) you are handed your ballot.   That should fix quite a few problems in this country....

I vote they print you a receipt to sign. And instead of having a tip section like a restaurant, it has your ballot printed right on it. Fill out the ballot/receipt, sign it, and hand it back to the poll worker/tax collector. They scan it in with you watching and hand you a print out as your copy and receipt for taxes paid.

This way you don't even have some time to let it settle. And get to stare at the amount you were just extorted as you check off the boxes on your ballet.

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[230RN]

You mean some politicians did something that actually makes sense?

I might die of shock.

Seriously, this is great. This is what should have happened all along. The only thing that would make this better is not having any sort of form at all.

As several have touched upon, including myself, there actually are legal issues to be resolved beforehand.  Inheritance, acquisition and division of property, IRS issues, etc, etc.

I think most of these elements are addressed in the legal lingo of "pre-nup" agreements already, though... and in existing case law on "palimony."  It should not be too difficult to include these issues in a standardized checklist-like form, as much as I hate "forms."

Terry