FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan
March 4, 2015
Contact: Hugh Madden, hugh@progressmichigan.org
House Republican Committee Chooses Discrimination Over Well-Being of Michigan Children
Today’s vote seeks to codify hate into Michigan’s laws
LANSING — Today, the Michigan House Families, Children, and Seniors Committee voted 5-3 on a party line vote to allow adoption agencies to discriminate against loving couples seeking to adopt children in need of permanent homes.
House Bills 4188, 4189 and 4190 would allow groups to use religion to justify discriminating against couples seeking to adopt a child. In addition the bills would prohibit the state from taking action against adoption agencies that discriminate.
“These bills are just another example of House Republicans putting their radical, right-wing ideology ahead of the interests of the people of Michigan and the well-being of children in need of permanent homes,” said Hugh Madden, communications director at Progress Michigan. “It is sad that House Republicans would allow religion to be used as a shield for those who seek to use discrimination to deny loving couples from providing permanent homes to children in need.”
House Republicans rejected an amendment offered by Representative Marcia Hovey-Wright (D – Muskegon) that would have ensured that the best interest of the child was given the top priority in adoption cases.
“The vote on the Hovey-Wright amendment put the anti-family policies of House Republicans on full display,” continued Madden. “Choosing faith-based discrimination over the best interests of children flies in the face of our Michigan values and the religious teachings that those who would discriminate claim to represent.”
###