By Alisha Green
Associated Press
LANSING (AP) — Members of the Michigan Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony recently on whether Michigan needs a law that backers say protects people’s religious freedoms and opponents say permits discrimination against gays and others.
The bill appears to have little chance of passing and may not go any further in the Legislature.
Republican Gov. Rick Snyder has threatened to veto the legislation unless lawmakers also extend anti-discrimination protections to gays, and Republican Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Rick Jones of Grand Ledge no further hearings were planned on the measure.
Amber McCann, spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, said Meekhof has requested that there only be a hearing at this time, and no decision has been made yet about further action.
The bill would let people who say their exercise of religion has been substantially burdened by government cite the law in a claim or defense in a judicial or administrative proceeding.
Bill sponsor Sen. Mike Shirkey, a Republican from Clarklake, said the language is “substantially different” from Indiana’s religious objections law that recently prompted a backlash.
The bill “is not a license to discriminate,” Shirkey said.
He shared a decision-making flow chart that shows a standard for strict scrutiny in determining cases where the legislation would apply, Shirkey said.
Sen. Tory Rocca, a Republican from Sterling Heights, got into a heated exchange with Shirkey about the implications of the legislation.
Rocca asked Shirkey repeatedly whether he believed the bill would allow a landlord to deny housing to someone in an interracial marriage or a same-sex couple.
Shirkey said that was a civil rights issue. Rocca said Shirkey was avoiding answering the questions.
“Do you feel you should have a better idea of how something like that works if you bring up a bill like this?” Rocca asked.
Jones cut off the debate between the two.
Jami and Krista Contreras were among those who testified against the bill. The Detroit-area women say they believe a pediatrician refused to care for their baby because they are lesbians and are disappointed that there is no state or federal law to prohibit such a decision.
Shirkey said such scenarios would not be defended by his bill.
The hearing on the legislation came the same day the U.S. Supreme Court considered the legality of Michigan’s gay marriage ban.
McCann said the bill “was not meant to be any kind of discussion or weighing in on the issue of the LGBT community or the same-sex marriage debate.”
Businesses from around the state have urged the Legislature not to take further action on the measure, and the Detroit Regional Chamber applauded the Senate committee for not voting on the bill.
“Amid the global war for talent, Michigan should send a very clear message that all persons are welcome to utilize their talents here. Similar legislation seemingly undermined Indiana’s reputation as a pro-job state in a matter of days,” said the chamber’s vice president of government relations, Brad Williams.
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