BTL Op-Ed: Snyder's Betrayal Takes Michigan A Giant Step Backward

Pure betrayal. That's the mildest phrase we can think of to describe Republican Gov. Rick Snyder's decision to sign three bills into law that will enshrine religious discrimination into our state statutes. Even as we prepare for a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that is likely to make marriage equality the law of the land, Snyder and his Republican allies in the legislature are scrambling to make sure their vile bigotry remains a plague on our community.
Snyder promised Between The Lines to "take a close look" at the legislation which will allow religious affiliated adoption agencies – paid with state tax dollars – to refuse adoption services to persons who violate the organizations' sincerely held religious or moral beliefs. He signed those bills less than 24 hours after they were placed in front of him. That's not a considered and thoughtful decision driven by data; that's a thoughtless, agenda driven decision.
BTL recently learned that Snyder may have traded his signature on these anti-LGBT bills for Republican votes on his roads funding legislation. If true, then it is confirmed that he believes we are expendable, literally disposable under the grinding wheels of bigotry.
In his press statements, Snyder maintains this legislation won't stop any adoptions. In fact, these bills will do worse. They will prevent children from going to homes that are in their best interest – the standard we should strive for in placing these vulnerable kids. This legislation is not about kids, it's about adults and their ideological agenda to make sure LGBTQ Michiganders are consistently reminded that they are, at best, second-class citizens in this state.
When pressed for data that the governor relied on to sign these bills, his communications team provided two letters. Both letters were from large, Christian adoption agencies with contracts with the state – Bethany Christian Services and Catholic Charities. The Catholic Charities letter openly threatens to cease adoption services in the state in the event same-sex marriage is approved by the nation's highest court; unless, of course, Snyder signed the legislation to enshrine religious bigotry in law and reward that bigotry with taxpayer cash – taxpayer cash collected from both LGBTQ people and allies as well as supporters of the anti-gay agenda.
This move is a blatant violation of Michigan's Constitution. "The civil and religious rights, privileges and capacities of no individual shall be diminished or enlarged on account of his opinions or belief concerning matters of religion," Article I, Section 4 tells Michiganders.
This legislation diminishes the rights of children to have safe, loving homes, trapping them in a system of constant home transfers and instability we call foster care. This legislation enlarges the rights of religious organizations over the rights of individuals, particularly the children who are desperately seeking adoptive homes.
Snyder should have vetoed this bill with the swiftness with which he, instead, signed it. It is an attack on Michiganders and is no less vile than the Religious Freedom Restoration Act he has threatened to veto. In fact, we believe Snyder's signature on these bills is a promise broken. Snyder has sided with the bigots, not Michiganders, and certainly not the most vulnerable children among us.
A Snyder veto may have been overridden in the GOP controlled Senate. But that is not an acceptable reason to sign blatant bigotry into law. And if Republicans bargained away the chance for children to find loving homes in exchange for highway funding, then the GOP's twisted priorities have reached a new moral and ethical low.
Gov. Snyder, despite all your rhetoric about opposing discrimination, you've proven yourself to be a liar. We cannot and will not take you for your word anymore. You, Mr. Governor, are a threat to the health, safety and welfare of Michigan. You, Mr. Governor, are a danger to Michigan's children and a menace to the LGBTQ community.