Floridians can still marry their cousins after lawmakers fail to pass statewide ban

A Florida measure to ban marriage between first cousins died last week after a bill it was tucked into failed to pass the state’s house of representatives.

But Sunshine State legislators signaled the measure would be back on the block next year, and would hopefully pass once and for all.

A measure to ban marriage between first cousins in Florida failed to pass, but legislators say it will be back next year. Google maps

“I think we need to do the right thing for Floridians here,” State Rep. Dean Black told Action News Jax. “I think it should come back whether it’s a standalone bill, whether it’s tagged onto some other bill. Not really sure. We’ll have to see.”

“There are plenty of people here, and there are plenty of people you can find to be your lifelong partner without looking to your first cousin,” he added.

Black slipped the ban measure into a wider Department of Health bill, and it seemed poised to pass after receiving no push-back during deliberations.

But debates about other measures became gridlocked on the last day of deliberations, and an expiring deadline killed the health bill.

Cousin marriage used to be commonplace in many communities. It was legal in all the then-34 states during the Civil War.

“There was a time when I think first cousin marriages were allowed because population densities were not great, and you know it was hard to find a mate back when Florida was a wilderness,” Black told Action News.

Florida is not the only state where marrying cousins is still legal.

New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and California join Florida among 16 states where first cousins are allowed to get married with no restrictions.

Others allow it in certain instances — such as one of the cousins being infertile — while 32 have blanket bans.

Connecticut only banned cousin marriage last year, with the crackdown coming in October.