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Michigan House Passes Adoption Discrimination Bills

Equality Michigan Executive Director Emily Dievendorf speaking at the anti-adoption bill rally in Lansing. BTL photo: Todd Heywood

LANSING — In a series of 65 to 44 votes, the Michigan House has approved a three bill package to allow discrimination by adoption agencies which receive state funding. The bills are part of a growing "religious liberty" movement found both here in Michigan and across the U.S.
"No matter how well intentioned, these will produce bad results," State Rep. Jon Hoadley, D-Kalamazoo, told the House March 18 in a floor speech. "My colleagues on this side of the aisle have offered a number of reasons why to oppose these bills. They put the best interest of the agency over the best interest of the child, they are discriminatory despite the language added in the substitute bill and they violate the state constitution by elevating some religious beliefs above others."
Hoadley, who is one of two openly gay state representatives in the state, told the House the bills were a "bad solution in search of a non existent problem."
The state currently has 14,000 children in foster care. Over 3,000 of those children are in need of adoptive homes as the state has terminated the parental rights of the biological parents. Under the measures, adoption agencies — many of which are religious based agencies contracted with the state to provide adoption services — can refuse to adopt a child to a family, even if the adoption is in the best interest of the child, because of the agency's religious beliefs.
Hoadley said that the agencies do not even have to provide prospective adopters with their statement of faith by which a decision to adopt can be rendered.
The proposal would also protect state dollars being paid to the adoption agencies, even if they do engage in discrimination during adoptions.
Equality Michigan tried to rally opposition to the legislation, supporting a citizen's rally against the bills as well as lobbying lawmakers and testifying against the bills.
"Equality Michigan joins Michiganders around the state in being concerned by our elected officials' desire to enshrine discrimination into our laws. Children need homes and loving families, and the actions being taken by our elected leaders does nothing to help this long-standing problem," said Emily Dievendorf, executive director of the agency.
"Our leaders need to stop wasting precious time and our money harming children in need, and get back to the business of making Michigan better. Equality Michigan's members have sent thousands of emails opposing these bills, and they will continue to speak up against these bills until our leaders finally realize that Michigan wants to be a state known for our economic savy and compassion towards our citizens — not one known for wasting resources creating problems where known exist in an effort to politicize children," said Sommer Foster, director of political advocacy with the agency.
Liberal advocacy group Progress Michigan also slammed the legislature for passing the bill.
"Conservatives need to prioritize helping kids find loving families, not pushing their extremist ideology that seeks to enshrine discrimination into state law," said Hugh Madden, communications director at Progress Michigan. "Families are families — no matter what they look like — and it's time the House Republicans started realizing that fact. We're already battling enough discriminatory laws like this in our state and enough is enough."
Supporters of the bill include the Michigan Catholic Conference. Tom Hickson, vice president for public policy and advocacy at the Michigan Catholic Conference, said, "Securing diversity in child placement and protecting religious liberty rights for faith-based agencies will move children out of the foster care system. Without this legislation there will likely be fewer providers, which means fewer opportunities to find homes for kids that need them."
The bills now head over to the Senate, which is also controlled by a Republican majority. It is unclear if they will receive a hearing or a vote. But the fact the fourth bill introduced this session in the Senate was the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, it's highly likely this package will get a vote and land on Gov. Rick Snyder's desk for a signature.

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