Governor Rich Scott signed a bill on April 6 guaranteed to make unmarried Miami lovers breathe a sigh of relief.
The Florida governor signed 20 new bills into law, among which was one that decriminalized cohabitation without marriage, leaving Mississippi and Michigan the only states where it is still illegal.
The law, which has been on the Books for 148 years, is a second-degree misdemeanor. That means that those found guilty of living together before marriage and to “lewdly and lasciviously associate” could face a $500 fine and 60 days in jail.
Although cohabitation laws were seldom enforced in Florida, the ability to inflict legal consequences for men and women living together without benefit of marriage was always available to authorities. An example is the suspension of a liquor license in 1979 when it was discovered that six people associated with the company holding the license were in violation of the cohabitation law.
Two other bills, signed at the same time, will likely spark a series of changes to Brochures used to promote or familiarize visitors with the Sunshine State. Among the bills signed by Scott is one calling for a Florida Holocaust Memorial to be established in Tallahassee at the state Capitol Complex. Another bill renames the John U. Lloyd State Park the Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park.
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