Lunacy.

In the Missouri General Assembly:

Rep. Peter Merideth (D): I’ve heard you talk about parents’ rights to raise their kids the way they want. In fact, I just double checked, you voted ‘no’ on making it illegal for kids to be married to adults at the age of twelve if their parents consented to it. You said, actually, that should be the law because it’s the parents’ right and the kid’s right to decide what’s best for them. To be raped by an adult. Okay. [crosstalk] With marriage.

Sen Mike Moon (r): [crosstalk] Do you know any kids that have been married, age twelve?

Rep. Peter Merideth (D): That was the law. [crosstalk] You voted not to change it.

Sen Mike Moon (r): Do you know any kids? [crosstalk] Do you know any kids that have been married at age twelve?

Rep. Peter Merideth (D): I don’t need to. [crosstalk] Uh.

Sen Mike Moon (r): I do. And guess what? They’re still married.
[….]

Mike Moon (r) called them “kids”. He knows.

We called Rep. Peter Merideth’s (D) office in the capitol in Jefferson City to confirm that this exchange with Sen. Mike Moon (r) at a House committee hearing did indeed take place.

It did.

From Rep. Peter Merideth (D) [April 11, 2023]:

Just had a rough inquiry with Sen Mike Moon on his hateful ban on trans medical care. I asked about his typical opposition to government interference with parenting decisions, even those that (unlike gender affirming care) are considered dangerous and harmful by pediatricians and psychologists around the country. I pointed to this vote of his from a couple years ago.

That’s right. He believes government has no right to prevent a 12 year old girl from marrying and legally having sex with a 40 year old if their parents are ok with it. But he thinks it’s the government’s role to ban kids getting medical treatments that have the support of their parents, the overwhelming medical community, and years of medical and psychological counseling and deliberation.

[….]

This is Missouri.