Michigan lawmakers abandoned an effort to strip universities of the right to offer employee benefits for same-sex couples, fearing it would violate freedoms granted to universities under the Michigan constitution, but still pushed to place the restriction on other governmental bodies.
In a party-lined decision, Republican senators pushed through a series of bills Wednesday that would strip local governments the right to offer worker benefits to non-married partners, including same-sex couples.
But they took out a crucial section of one bill that included employees of all public universities, fearing the law would be struck down for violating the Michigan constitution, which includes an autonomy clause guaranteeing the universities free of control from state government.
The bill now will be routed back to the House, where the changed version must be re-voted on before it is sent to the governor’s desk.
Snyder spokesperson Sara Wurfel said in an email the governor has not decided whether he will sign the bills into law.
Still, Sen. Joel Johnson, R-Clare, said he plans to vote for the revised version, although he said the law would be better in its original language.
“My intent is to uphold the law as it was intended to begin with,” Johnson said, adding the move would save the state money. “Sometimes you take the best you can get, and a win is still a win.”
State Rep. Mark Meadows, D-East Lansing, said the bills unfairly interfere with the powers of local government.
“It should be up to local communities,” Meadows said. “Even though (the change is) a step in the right direction, I want to vote against this.”
Members of the East Lansing City Council have voiced their disapproval of the bills, unanimously passing a resolution to oppose the move in the council’s Oct. 18 meeting.
One of the bills would render the city’s Other Eligible Benefits policy to provide insurance for domestic partners of city employees moot.
East Lansing Mayor Pro Tem Nathan Triplett said he was disappointed with the Senate’s passage of the bill on all levels and believes the decision is ironic considering the legislature’s stated goals of promoting jobs and employees in Michigan.
If the bills come to fruition, Triplett said many families could feel uncomfortable living in Michigan. He said these actions would not benefit the interests of the city of East Lansing and take away the city’s power to make decisions that would.
“It sends a pretty strong message that these legislators believe these families aren’t welcome in our state,” Triplett said. “These bills very clearly attack the local control over prerogatives of cities.”
MSU College Republicans representative CJ Demmer said he believes the benefits are not a good return on taxpayer dollars but said the issue was not one he was largely concerned with because of its minimal impact on students.
On the other hand, MSU College Democrats President Joe Duffy said the bills attack groups already shunned by the law and is not helping the state move forward on major civil rights issues.
“I can’t say enough bad things about these bills,” Duffy said. “It’s not going to save the state much money, not creating jobs and it’s just another string of attacks on civil rights we should be past by now.”
Staff writer Kelsie Thompson contributed to this report.
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