Thursday, December 4, 2014

Michigan House takes up bill to protect religious liberty

With barely two weeks remaining in the current legislative session and a raft of issues on the docket, Michigan House leaders have moved the protection of religious liberties to center stage. House Speaker Jase Bolger introduced House Bill 5958 - the Michigan Religious Freedom Restoration Act (MRFRA) - immediately after the November election. Typically, the Speaker does not introduce bills as leader of the chamber. HB 5958 is the only bill Speaker Bolger has personally sponsored in this two-year session. Today the House Judiciary Committee heard testimony on the bill and reported it to the House floor by a vote of 7-4.

This proposed state law directly parallels the federal RFRA which was at the center of the Hobby Lobby religious liberty case against the HHS Mandate under the federal health care law. The federal RFRA was enacted in 1993, signed by President Bill Clinton, to mitigate a U.S. Supreme Court ruling which lowered the protection of religious beliefs from government actions. Though Congress attempted to apply RFRA to the states, the Supreme Court later ruled states must pass their own RFRA to maintain the highest level of legal protection at the state and local levels.

Right to Life of Michigan offered its support to HB 5958 today as we are currently engaged in our own lawsuit against the HHS Mandate. Recent government actions at both the federal and local levels have demonstrated fundamental religious liberties are vulnerable. While things are always very unpredictable in a "lame duck" session, including what response the Michigan Senate will have to HB 5958, a matter of this importance will keep everyone's attention in Lansing.

RLM will be closely monitoring developments on this legislation and will be advocating for its passage.