Florida Just Repealed A Law That Should've Been Changed 80+ Years Ago
Florida: on the right side of history.
Florida isn't exactly known as the most progressive state.
Florida's always been considered a pretty weird state for lots of reasons, but its problems go much deeper than the light-hearted weirdness it's popularly known for. Florida has a controversial "stand your ground law," which became notorious following the George Zimmerman trial.
After taking office in 2010, Florida's governor Rick Scott passed a law requiring welfare recipients to pass a urine drug test. Of course, this was repealed because it's unconstitutional and morally reprehensible. Florida also has a Docs vs. Glocks law (seriously, that's what they're calling it), which makes it illegal for doctors to ask patients about guns in their home. What the actual fuck? Gov. Scott is also a Tea Party champion, supports corporations more than the poor citizens of his state and has spent more than $1 million on lawsuits related to his legislation.
Even John Oliver called Florida the worst state.
Or at least he very, very heavily implied as much. If John Oliver says it, it is so.
If you're a Floridian and you're sick of all your state's ass-backwards ways, I've got some good news for you (which shouldn't be news at all because it's 80 years behind the times):
Florida's 148-year-old law preventing unmarried men and women from living together was finally repealed on April 7, 2016. Wow.
I'm sure you have exactly two questions right now. Let me answer them for you: 1) Yes, this was a real law in Florida; 2) I have no idea why it took them so long to reverse a law that should've been reversed in the 1940s at the very latest.
Oh, and there were still 5 votes opposed to the repeal, all Republican.
Oh, and by the way, there are still two states where intersex, unmarried cohabitation is still illegal.
Mississippi and Michigan want you to know that if you're living with your boyfriend or girlfriend, you're breaking the law and you're a very bad boy/girl. It's shocking that this is still a law in 2016. Let this serve as a PSA to everyone living in these two states to promptly move—unless you think separation of church and state is totally overrated.
All of this obviously leads to the following question:
If you live in any of these places, get out while you still can.