Until today, unmarried couples were legally barred from living together in Florida
For the last 148 years it has been illegal for unwed couples to live together in the state of Florida — on Wednesday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott finally repealed the law. While it was rarely enforced, violators of the law technically could have gotten hit with a second-degree misdemeanor resulting in 60 days jail time or a $500 fine, Newsweek reports.
The law dated back to 1868 and a statute that was aimed at "engaging in open behavior that is gross lewdness and lascivious." The law, however, did not apply to same-sex couples living together because of its specification that, "If any man and woman, not being married to each other, lewdly and lasciviously associate and cohabit together... they shall be guilty of a second degree misdemeanor."
The effort to repeal the law passed unanimously in the Florida House, although five Republicans issued "no" votes in the Senate. Michigan and Mississippi are now the only two states left that still have cohabitation laws.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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