Panel Approves Bill That Would Allow Couples To "Shack Up"
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TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/AP) — A bill that would allow South Florida couples to 'shack up' has cleared another hurdle.
On Thursday a Senate panel voted in favor of a bill, sponsored by Sen. Eleanor Sobel, which would allow unmarried couples to live together. The law against it has been on the books since 1868.
With the panel's approval, the bill now heads to the full Senate for a vote.
Several legislators have tried in the last few years to repeal the ban but have been unsuccessful.
According to current law, a man and woman living together in sin can be fined $500 fine and locked up in jail for 60 days. According to 2014 census data, there are nearly 438,000 unmarried male-female couples among the state's 7.3 million households.
Florida, Michigan and Mississippi are the only states that still outlaw cohabitation.
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