State lawmakers are considering a bill to raise the legal age of marriage with parental consent in West Virginia from 16 to 18. Right now, West Virginia has the highest rate of child marriage in the United States. There have been more than 700 child marriages in the state since 2001. Most of these marriages involved a child and an adult. The bill’s sponsor — Delegate Kayla Young — says her bill has bipartisan support, with Republicans backing it because it would protect children. She says opponents include people who themselves were married at a young age, or their parents were married as children. The bill is currently in the House Judiciary Committee.