Snyder Vows to Veto Religious Freedom Legislation

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Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder said Thursday he would veto legislation giving businesses the right to turn away gay couples if a bill, currently before the Legislature, makes it to his desk.

“Given all the events that are happening in Indiana, I thought it would be good to clarify my position,” he said in an interview with the Detroit Free Press. “I would veto RFRA legislation in Michigan if it is a standalone piece of legislation.”

The newspaper called Snyder’s statement “highly unusual,” and said the governor normally avoids such definitive statements by stating instead the issues that are priorities.

Snyder acknowledged strong feelings on both sides of the issue, but said he wouldn’t sign legislation unless it’s tied to expansion of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

“I believe in religious freedom but I strongly oppose discrimination of any kind,” he said.

Related:

• Question to Michigan Lawmakers Backing Religious Freedom: Did You See What Happened in Indiana?
• Religious Freedom Bills Back Before Michigan Legislature
• Critics: Religious Freedom Restoration Act Legalizes LGBT Discrimination
• U.S. Supreme Court Will Decide Gay Marriage for All 50 States

None of the proposals currently before the Legislature is tethered to Michigan’s civil rights act, which prohibits discrimination in housing and hiring.

Snyder said his administration is “working hard to see if there is a better way to address religious freedom and equality.”

The governor clarified his position after a furor over Indiana’s religious freedom bill fueled threats of economic and tourism boycotts. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence directed lawmakers to fix the law, which he had signed, to ensure it can’t be used as a legal mechanism to discriminate against gays,

Other states are apparently paying attention to what’s happening in Indiana. In Arkansas, Gov Asa Hutchinson vetoed religious freedom legislation after businesses – including his son – petitioned him to do so.

RFRA Backers Working Against Supreme Court Clock

Sen. Mike Shirkey, the Clarkdale Republican who is shepherding the RFRA in the Michigan Senate, is undaunted by the Snyder’s rebuff.

“I’m not surprised, but I’m not deterred,” he said, calling the veto pledge “the governor’s prerogative.”

The three religious freedom bills before the Legislature include:

• The broadly worded Religious Freedom Restoration Act that would protect businesses raising religious objections to providing services;
• Legislation allowing faith-based adoption agencies to decline same-sex and unmarried couples, for example, based on religious objections;
• Legislation that would allow medical personnel and hospitals to withhold services that violate their religious beliefs.

Shirkey and other lawmakers backing the RFRA are eager to get the proposal to the governor’s desk before the U.S. Supreme Court rules on Michigan’s gay marriage case. That case could potentially settle one of the most contentious civil rights issues of modern times and legalize same-sex marriage in all 50 states.

But in light of the fallout in Indiana, the RFRA may continue to languish in the Senate, where it’s currently stalled.

Amber McCann, a spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, R-West Olive, said religious freedom legislation is a priority for some Republican lawmakers, but isn’t a top priority for the GOP caucus.

Snyder and the Legislature are being pressure by a coalition of about 50 businesses and organizations to think twice before pursuing it.

“I’m hoping that the news that Indiana is making will make the people pushing this legislation think twice about pushing it further,” Sandy Baruah, the CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber, said. “The business community is in a war for talent. We’re desperately trying to find the best and brightest to come and work in Michigan. And we want all talented people to feel welcome and encouraged to make Michigan their home.”