Michigan Senate committee to hear testimony on RFRA bill the same day marriage equality case is at S
Source: eclectablog
....at the Supreme Court
It’s hard not to be cynical about the timing of the Michigan Senate committee hearing on “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” (RFRA) legislation on April 28th. The same day DeBoer v Snyder, the case for marriage equality, gets its day at the U.S. Supreme Court, Michigan Republicans have scheduled hearings on RFRA legislation similar to the RFRA legislation passed in Indiana that caused a rightful uproar. The Indiana legislation was changed after it was passed into law to include more protections for the LGBT community, but many critics say those protections don’t go far enough.
Michigan Senate Bill 4 claims to be all about protecting people of faith from government interference in their religious practice — which is a right so fundamental to America that it’s already protected under the U.S. Constitution. But as usual with most RFRA legislation, SB 4 is vaguely worded. That leaves the law open for interpretation that puts people’s rights at risk.
This is particularly true for the LGBT community, which is not protected under Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. Since there is no law to protect the rights of the LGBT community there is no protection for LGBT people against religious discrimination that would be enshrined into law by SB 4.
But RFRA legislation has the potential to harm anyone — Muslims or Christians who are refused police protection or medical care by someone of a different faith, single mothers who are denied housing by someone who thinks they are sinners, or a teenager who is refused school counseling because he has a drinking problem that goes against someone’s beliefs. The more vague the language of the bill, the greater the danger.
Another troubling aspect of SB 4 is the vague definition of “exercise of religion,” which leaves it open to broad interpretation.
Read more: http://www.eclectablog.com/2015/04/michigan-senate-committee-to-hear-testimony-on-rfra-bill-the-same-day-marriage-equality-case-is-at-supreme-court.html
You don't even have to cite a legitimate recognized religion. So go ahead and discriminate against Republicans based on your "deeply held belief" that they're subverting basic "god-given" human rights. Or something.
= new reply since forum marked as read
either.
What group will be next to be thrown into the rightwing discrimination grinder???
