Michigan Senate Committee Considers Removing Same-Sex Marriage Ban From Constitution
The state Senate civil rights committee convened a hearing to discuss the potential removal of a ban on same-sex marriage from the Michigan Constitution. The ban, added through an amendment in 2004, became inoperative following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down same-sex marriage bans nationwide in 2015.
During the hearing, April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse, a Michigan couple who played a pivotal role in the marriage equality cases brought before the U.S. Supreme Court, advocated for the removal of the outdated language. DeBoer emphasized the importance of eliminating the ban, stating, “We don’t want to go back to being second-class citizens.”
Michigan Senator Jeremy Moss, the sponsor of the resolution, highlighted that same-sex marriage is no longer a contentious issue and should be reflected in the state’s constitution. Moss emphasized the positive impact of these marriages on community stability and family well-being.
The resolution proposed by Senator Moss aims to introduce a ballot question to allow voters to decide on the removal of the ban. Although the committee did not take immediate action on the resolution, concerns were raised about the potential need to prepare for a scenario where the U.S. Supreme Court could revisit its decision on marriage equality.
Jay Kaplan, a staff attorney at the ACLU of Michigan’s LTBTQ+ Project, pointed out the importance of Michigan being prepared for any changes in federal rulings on same-sex marriage. While no opponents spoke during the hearing, achieving the necessary super-majority votes in the divided Legislature to send the question to the ballot remains a challenging task.
