Love is all you need

The measure, which passed the full House and is now in the Senate, would allocate money for a “statewide public service announcement campaign ... promoting marriage as a tool against poverty and targeting all members of the public.”

Funds to pay for the ads would come from those previously set aside for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.

So dollars that otherwise would help people in actual need instead can go toward commercials that say, “Hey! Marriage is awesome! Get hitched!”

HB 1908 arrives despite a study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities showing that annual TANF dollars to Oklahoma are steadily declining, while state needs are not.

If passed, the bill would go into effect Nov. 1, just in time for the holidays. You know, to remind you that you only have a few weeks left to procure a spouse and avoid another year of chewing microwaved turkey legs over the kitchen sink.