Bill takes aim at polygamist group in west Texas

Posted on Sun, Mar. 27, 2005

Bill takes aim at polygamist group in west Texas

BY BILL HANNA
Knight Ridder Newspapers


FORT WORTH, Texas - (KRT) - A Kerrville, Texas, lawmaker is trying to make it harder for a polygamist group that is building a compound south of San Angelo to practice some of its more controversial beliefs.

The Fundamentalist Church of Latter-day Saints, which has historically been based in the twin towns of Colorado City, Ariz., and Hildale, Utah, began erecting buildings on the YFZ Ranch near Eldorado in Schleicher County about a year ago.

Former members have accused the group of coercing girls as young as 14 to marry, sometimes to their relatives, and staging a political takeover of local government in Colorado City and Hildale.

A bill filed by state Rep. Harvey Hilderbran, R-Kerrville, would raise the minimum age of marriage with parental consent from 14 to 16, make it illegal for stepparents to marry stepchildren and toughen residency requirements to run for office.

A separate bill filed by Hilderbran would also allow the Schleicher County hospital district to switch from at-large seats to single-member districts to prevent the sect from taking control of the board and its funds.
(snip/...)

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/breaking_news/11244388.htm

From Hiderbran's own site,
http://www.harveyhilderbran.com/issues.htm
a favored photo:

-- and thought, "Well, hell. Who the hell does this Bill guy think he is, anyway? Why doesn't he mind his own business?"

Then I read the whole thing. A legislative initiative.

Got it.

If consenting adults want to have their own harem of multiple spouses, that's none of my business, but the practice of forcing 14-16 year olds into marriages is beneath contempt.

that forced those of us who are responsible nonmonogamists to dump the term polygamy and create the polyglot word polyamory.

Sadly, the word hasn't taken off in the real world so folks like me are often confused with folks like these idjits.

He made a statement about it concerning David Koresh

If polygamists were allowed to marry all their harem, then we could regulate the age of their "spouses."

M

n/t

... in Texas thinking something along these lines, "Oops! Don't look like our kind of fundie...."

The worst aspect has to do with sexual abuse of under aged females.
They heavily rely on welfare as well. Somehow I don't see this going down well in Kerrvile either.

Welfare designed for a family of more than one? Mighty interestin' economic dynamics there. I bet someone is livin' high with multiple spouses collectin' collectin'.

In Colorado City AZ, a number of these polygamist families are using their 'spiritual wives" to register for welfare as un married mothers with dependant children.

A HUGE part of their income is derived from welfare payments.

the legal marriage age here is 14. At one time it was 12 but I think that was changed to 14 in the 70's.

I was wondering when the fundies would get hip to this and try to change it. It could very well be that that is what they are doing while using the guise of going after the polygamists.

n/t

when he married Soon Yee.

She is the adopted daughter of Woody Allen's former lover -- he and Mia Farrow were never married. So whatever your views on it, this bill would not have changed his circumstances.

http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9712/24/woody.weds/

:hi:

I live in Utah. Our local NBC affiliate did a story on them last month... check it out:

http://tv.ksl.com/index.php?sid=151440&nid=5&template=print

On New Year's Day, when free-lance writer Jon Krakauer flew over and took two pictures, the temple was just a rectangular outline. His first photo shows some sort of ceremony, possibly led by Warren Jeffs. In the second photo the faithful had closed ranks to hide the leader. Just five weeks later, the temple looked much more complete.

Sam Brower: “They’re driven. They’re driven to get it done quick and they’re doing it.”

Private detective Sam Brower says Jeffs set an apocalyptic deadline, the 175th anniversary of the founding of the Mormon Church.

Sam Brower: “According to my sources, the end of the world is going to happen, once again, according to Warren, on April 6th. That’s what they’re shooting for.”

this prophets "sources" will find an explanation that keeps
the tithe money flowing.

other types of fundies out-fundying them. :)