This bill is not about eliminating divorce, but about strengthening marriage,'' said Haywood, R-Wichita Falls. Taylor County recorded 1,390 marriages and 891 divorces in 1997. Haywood is ready to practice what he preaches.
Covenant marriage are already available in Arizona and Louisiana.
They would let married couples choose between the standard marriage and the stricter covenant marriage, which can only be dissolved in cases of abuse, adultery, abandonment or a conviction of a felony resulting in imprisonment. Divorcing for other reasons is only allowed after the couple has first tried counseling and living apart for two years. Haywood hopes upgrading his own marriage will inspire others to do the same. Each year in Texas, there are almost half as many divorces as there are marriages, according to the state Bureau of Vital Statistics, which reported 93,088 divorces and 182,817 marriages statewide in 1997. Mandatory counseling could prevent rash decisions, said Jennifer Ransom, spokeswoman for Haywood's office.