Oklahoma City, Okla., Jan 15, 2010 / 18:16 pm
In a proposal aimed to reduce an extremely high divorce rate, an Oklahoma state legislator has introduced a bill that would reward engaged couples who obtain more pre-marital counseling and would require pre-divorce counseling for troubled marriages. It also creates “covenant marriages” with stricter standards for divorce.
Oklahoma ranks in the top five nationally for currently divorced men and women.
"State government currently spends hundreds of millions of dollars dealing with the fallout of divorce – exponentially more than it does supporting marriage," Rep. Mark McCullough, sponsor of the bill, said in a Jan. 13 statement.
“If we can encourage more couples to obtain counseling and carefully consider their decisions before entering into this supposedly life-long commitment, I believe we can drive down our divorce rate, save taxpayer money and improve the lives of thousands of Oklahomans every year."