Snyder: 'I Would Veto RFRA Legislation'

In a rare moment of political frankness, Michigan's Republican Gov. Rick Snyder has announced he would veto religious freedom legislation if it does not have companion legislation to protect the LGBT community from discrimination.
"Given all the events that are happening in Indiana, I thought it would be good to clarify my position," he told the Detroit Free Press during an interview April 2. "I would veto RFRA legislation in Michigan if it is a standalone piece of legislation."
The Free Press reports he specifically said that there should be two separate bills — RFRA and an amendment to Elliot-Larsen, the state's civil rights law, to include sexual orientation and gender identity.
Snyder made similar statements about reservations related to RFRA last December when it passed the state House. At that point, an amendment to Elliot-Larsen had died in committee. He has called for dialogue about the civil rights bill previously, but that call was unilaterally dismissed by Republican Speaker of the House Kevin Cotter.
"I am quite positive that Gov. Snyder doesn't want the blowback of what is happening economically in Indiana happening here," says TJ Bulcholz, owner of Vanguard, a communications shop in Lansing. Bulcholz also works on political campaigns and has a long career in government service with Democrats. "I think a lot of this veto threat is this administration seeing which way the wind is blowing."
The legislation sponsor, Sen. Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, told the Free Press he was undeterred by the veto threat.
"That's the governor's perogative, but I intend to give him that chance (to veto the bill)," he told the Free Press. "I'm not surprised, but I'm not deterred."
He said he would not "cave to pressure."
"We are happy that Gov. Snyder, after intense pressure by Progress Michigan and the progressive and business communities, has strayed from his typical non-committal rhetoric by being absolute in his language about vetoing a RFRA bill in Michigan," said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan. "However, if the governor is serious about his commitment against discrimination, he should demand that Attorney General Bill Schuette retract his suit in defense of Michigan's discriminatory marriage ban and call on the legislature to immediately pass an updated version of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to protect the entire LGBT community."
Emily Dievendorf, executive director of Equality Michigan, commented, "Equality Michigan appreciates that Gov. Snyder has publicly stated his support for modernizing Michigan's anti-discrimination law to be inclusive of the LGBTQ community. However, Michigan will not benefit from a so-called Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and packaging these bills together could still harm Michigan families and bring the type of justified uproar to Michigan that Gov. Snyder is trying to avoid. We call on the governor to press harder for passage of an amendment to the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act and that he veto any Religious Freedom Restoration Act, regardless of what it is packaged with."