N.D. weighs repeal of cohabitation ban - this is a doozy

(edit)

North Dakota is one of seven states that bar a man and woman from living together "openly and notoriously" as if they were married. Florida, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia have similar laws.

The North Dakota law has been on the books since statehood, and lists cohabitation as a sex crime, along with rape, incest and adultery.

"It's misguided and a stain on North Dakota's Century Code," said freshman state Sen. Tracy Potter, a Bismarck Democrat who has sponsored legislation to repeal the anti-cohabitation law.

The attempts at repeal failed in the last two legislative sessions.

This year the Senate approved a bill that would lift the cohabitation ban unless an unmarried man and woman pass themselves off as being married to commit fraud. The bill keeps the punishment at a maximum 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Potter himself approved of the change.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070227/ap_on_re_us/living_in_sin

OMFG

:banghead:

Some days I just can't believe what I'm reading...

When Oregon put an initiative on the ballot to remove some archaic racist language from its constitution, the measure passed by about 74%.

That means 26% wanted TO KEEP racism in the state constitution!

maybe, the legislators didn't think it would be worth their time to decriminalize(sic) cohabitation?
I just can't fathom any legislator thinking this law should stand.

... are tourists notified of this, when they check into hotel rooms?

Or busted in the middle of the night and thrown into jail?

In this day and time to have laws like that on the books and twice they could not be repealed... This is just freaking stupid....

wtf. welcome to 21st. Century America....

That's scary -- you think of Florida as definitely NOT being a backwards, kinda rural area...

sorry. I have family there, if that helps.

would be non-incarcerated. :silly:

:shrug: