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It’s No Longer Illegal To ‘Shack Up’ In Florida
April 7, 2016
For the first time since shortly after the Civil War, it is no longer a crime for unmarried men and women to shack up in the Sunshine State.
Gov. Rick Scott signed 20 bills into law Wednesday, including a long-discussed repeal of the state’s rarely enforced ban on unmarried men and women living together.
The repeal became law with Scott’s approval.
The signing (SB 498) leaves Michigan and Mississippi as the only states that make cohabitation illegal, according to a Senate analysis of the bill, which was approved during this year’s legislative session without opposition in the Senate and with only five dissenting votes in the House.
Rep. Richard Stark, a Weston Democrat who co-sponsored the repeal, argued on the House floor that the ban had impacted seniors as well as younger singles.
“I represent communities of seniors, where a lot of them are technically not married,” Stark said. “They are living together, but it makes more sense financially or for whatever reason like Social Security to not be married. I don’t think that they want to be considered to be violating the law.”
Opposing the repeal were Republicans Janet Adkins of Fernandina Beach, Brad Drake of Eucheeanna, Mike Hill of Pensacola Beach, Jennifer Sullivan of Mount Dora and Charles Van Zant of Keystone Heights.
A House staff analysis noted the cohabitation law has rarely been used to bring criminal charges, but it has been used in other ways. As an example, the analysis said the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation suspended a company’s liquor license in 1979 after finding that six people tied to the company were in violation of the law.
Enacted in 1868, the law declared it illegal for men and women to “lewdly and lasciviously associate and cohabit together” without being married. Violators could face second-degree misdemeanor charges.
The measure signed by Scott does not impact another part of state statute on lewd and lascivious behavior, maintaining the misdemeanor charge for men and women, married or unmarried, who engage in “open and gross lewdness.”
Among the other bills signed into law Wednesday was a wide-ranging measure (SB 698) that, in part, will allow the state Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco to issue alcoholic beverage licenses to the owners of railroad transit stations that are used for passenger service between two or more cities.
Another new law (SB 218) will make it a first-degree misdemeanor to have two or more electronic benefit transfer cards and to sell or attempt to sell one of the cards. A second offense would be a third-degree felony. The intent of the law, which goes on the books Oct. 1, is to crack down on the trafficking of EBT cards, which help provide food assistance to low-income Floridians.
Also, starting July 1, a new law (SB 1202) will require county and municipal parks to offer full or partial entry-fee discounts to current members of the military and honorably discharged veterans. Also, the discounts will apply to spouses and parents of members of the military who died in combat, and spouses and parents of emergency first responders who died in the line of duty.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Comments
11 Responses to “It’s No Longer Illegal To ‘Shack Up’ In Florida”
REGARDING:
” the law declared it illegal for men and women to “lewdly and lasciviously associate and cohabit together” without being married. ”
It used to be legal to be lewd and lascivious if you did so with your spouse?
The sheriff forced one of my many great uncles to marry because he was being lascivious with Aunt Alice. (Either that or because she was not being exclusive in her lasciviosness with the sheriff.) Looking back, Uncle Leonard should have just paid the fine.
David for bargains
Like I EVER obeyed that law…
One day a lot of folks are going to say, I wish I had listened to that Man of GOD, when he knocked on my door to share the Gospel of Christ with me, and I laughed at him and slammed the door in his face, Or when someone invited me to church in isle #7 at Walmart, and I laughed and said I don’t need your religion. Life is short and brief, we only have one chance to get it right, and then their is eternity.
There is separation of church and state enough said.
The reason this was made a law, way back when, was to protect society and children from the inevitable outcome of immorality. That wisdom has been thrown so far out the window, to even bring it up in today’s world invites scorn (I’m sure some folks will post on here how ridiculous this very posting is). NOW…look at our society. People are more miserable, angry, frustrated, and splintered apart than at any other time in our nation’s history. Our presidential election this year is a complete joke…look at who’s running (not all are a joke, but the two front runners…well). There is a link, and anyone honest enough to see it will learn from it.
The law should be removed for it was unenforceable and general society had too many instances where it didn’t make sense. As to the ‘good book’ one read of Deut. 22: 28-29 sort of shows that our preconceptions outweigh the reality. it is the reason all the ’sanctity of marriage’ is related more to our current image of marriage than the way it was only a hundred years ago.
All laws that are no longer actively enforced should be abolished.
They still exist so that if nothing else, you can be arrested and charged with a crime.
We are all law breakers because somewhere there is a law that says you are a criminal.
Like wearing a skimpy bathing suit on the beach is totally fine.
But stroll down a sidewalk in the same outfit downtown and you get a citation for disturbing the peace, etc.
Sad but true.
A marriage license and vows do not a marriage make. Commitment, dedication, trust, respect, care, companionship and of course a man and woman sharing a life will form an inseparable bond.
In addition, survival will always win the battle for so many in our world of today.
I totally agree with Ted. The law may say it’s ok, but in God’s eyes it is not. And one day we will all have to answer to God. No getting out of it. People, all ages, would rather live together so their “SSI checks, disability checks, social security checks, Medicare checks or Medicaide checks” don’t get taken away or reduced. You need to get married and trust God to take care of you…..he will!
It’s as if good values and morals have been thrown out the window. I know in the good book it is illegal. Mans law does not compare to the Lord’s law.
With no enforcement. that was sure a waste of taxpayers money. T here are some real issues to contend with dont you think.