Recently, members of the TODAY Show discussed the possibility of The Colorado Marriage Education Act that would mandate hours of premarital wedding education for first-time and repeat brides and grooms.
Headed by California-based organization, Kids Against Divorce, the act would require 10 hours of instruction for those getting married for the first time, 20 for those marrying a second time and 30 hours for a third marriage. Widows and widowers would get the same 10 hours as first-timers. TODAY’s Willie Geist added that those getting married in the Catholic Church are currently required similar premarital education. While he and his wife took a “Pre-Cana” class, he doesn’t credit the course for the strength of their marriage. Tamron Hall, however, suggests that the class would be useful for those, like herself, who fear the idea of marriage.
“I don’t want to fail at this thing. I want to get it right whenever I do it,” she said. “That’s something that really I hold sacred and I think everyone does when you take those vows. But if you take a class, I think that helps. It maybe will give you some confidence.”
While Colorado is the first state to be targeted by Kids Against Divorce, they plan to propose similar bills in states across the country.
“Kids Against Divorce has taken a stand on behalf of all children. By making the necessary changes on the front end of marriage, we can prevent the lifelong effects of divorce on the back end,” organization founder David Schel told TODAY.com by email. “If we can prevent even one child from experiencing the tragic event of his/her family being split apart, then this was well worth it.”
Watch the discussion from the TODAY Show below.
https://www.today.com/news/can-you-learn-wed-law-proposed-pre-marriage-classes-2D11972072
BWMK–Would you be for or against required premarital education classes in your state? Why do you feel it would or wouldn’t be necessary or effective?