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BTL Editorial: Gov. Snyder: The Time To Talk Is Over

Michigan's Republican Gov. Rick Snyder has made a political career treading carefully on the edges of controversy. Rarely does he tip his hat and tell the electorate – the people who put him in office – where he stands on many legislative issues.
An amendment to the state's civil rights act to protect the LGBT community, pending religious discrimination in adoption bills and the Michigan Religious Freedom Restoration Act are such scenarios where Snyder is playing coy with the electorate and it is time for that to end.
Snyder will likely only say he thinks the legislature should have more discussions on Elliott-Larsen. But this state has been having such discussions since former Republican lawmaker Jim Dressel, R-Holland, introduced an amendment in 1981. The evidence is clear and convincing – protecting the LGBT community from discrimination is good for business and good for the economy. Dragging out useless conversations about human dignity won't help, particularly when Speaker of the House Kevin Cotter – who is beholden to the unholy trinity of Tea Party theocrats Reps. Gary Glenn, R-Midland, Todd Courser, R-Lapeer, and Cindy Gamrat, R-Plainwell – has declared such discussions are over.
The governor has been just as cautious when it comes to the so-called "religious freedom" bills. He wants to wait and approach the legislation and evaluate it after it passes. By then, it will be too late. The governor must do what he was elected to do – he must stand up and lead.
And leadership – bold leadership – requires that Gov. Snyder not dance around the issue. He needs to publicly stand up against the adoption discrimination bills and MiRFRA. If he does support those bills, Michiganders have a right to know that as well. Will Gov. Snyder stand up for all Michiganders and against the rightwing theocrats of his own party; or will he sell the LGBT community down the proverbial river to accomplish more economic paybacks for his wealthy and connected donors?
Let there be no mistake – the adoption discrimination bills, MiRFRA and even the debate about Elliott-Larsen are intimately tied to the pending Supreme Court hearings on marriage equality. The theocrats who overpopulate the Michigan GOP – as represented by the ongoing support of Dave Agema as a national committeeman – want to retain the ability to discriminate against anyone who does not reflect their narrow religious belief system. The theocrats want nothing more than to legislate their beliefs. It's un-American. And it's time for this governor to stand up and do the right thing instead of cowering in the political shadows waiting to see which way the political winds will blow.

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