17 January 2024 , 20:45
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A Republican Representative in Kentucky, Nick Wilson, caused a social media stir when he attempted to pass a bill that would remove first cousins from the state's incest law. However, he later withdrew the bill, claiming it was an error.
Wilson explained on Facebook that the controversial change was unintentional and occurred during the drafting process of House Bill 269. He admitted to forgetting to include "first cousins" back into the list of prohibited relationships for sexual activity after it was mistakenly removed.
He said: "During the drafting process, there was an inadvertent change, which struck 'first cousins' from the list of relationships included under the incest statute, and I failed to add it back in. I will withdraw HB 269 and refile a bill with the 'first cousin' language intact." Later that day, he officially withdrew the bill and expressed hope for a corrected version to be reconsidered.
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The Republican lawmaker submitted the bill but later withdrew it (CBS via Getty Images)Wilson initially proposed the bill to "combat a problem of familial and cyclical abuse that transcends generations of Kentuckians." He admitted: "I understand that I made a mistake, but I sincerely hope my mistake doesn't hurt the chances of the corrected version of the bill. It is a good bill, and I hope it will get a second chance."
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The bill sparked a lot of chatter on social media, especially on Twitter. The controversial content, stereotypes about Kentucky, and Wilson's background in reality TV fuelled the conversation. Wilson, an attorney and winner of "Survivor: David vs. Goliath" (the 37th season of the CBS competition in 2018), faced significant backlash.
Besides the cousin-related amendment, Wilson's original bill aimed to widen the definition of incest by including "engages in sexual contact." This expanded the existing offenses of "sexual intercourse" and "deviate sexual intercourse." Wilson argued that the broader scope was necessary to address instances of "sexual touching/groping" within familial relationships, specifying that such acts were not covered by the existing incest laws.
He had won Survivor in 2018 (CBS via Getty Images)
He said the bill amending the 'first cousins' detail was an error (Getty Images)For all the latest news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US
Under the suggested changes, "sexual contact" would be classified as a serious crime, unless the victim was under 12 years old, in which case it would become an even more serious crime. Consensual intercourse, if committed by adults, would remain a serious crime.
Alongside this withdrawn bill, Wilson put forward two other pieces of legislation on the same day. One aimed to make it a serious crime for individuals to travel to Kentucky with the "intent to engage in specified sexual offenses" involving commercial sexual activity. The other sought to allow written reports in cases of suspected child abuse or neglect, expanding on the existing oral reporting protocol.
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