LANSING, MI (MPRN)-- Democrats at the state Capitol have rolled out legislation to let voters re-consider the nine-year-old decision to outlaw same-sex marriage in Michigan. As we hear from Michigan Public Radio’s Rick Pluta, this new legislative effort is timed to coincide with this week’s anticipated U.S. Supreme Court decision on gay marriage.
The legislation would let voters replace the gay marriage ban with an amendment that specifically allows same-sex marriages. Another part of the package would recognize same-sex marriages performed in states that allow them.
Emily Dievendorf of the group Equality Michigan says, regardless of how the Supreme Court rules, times and public opinion are changing.
“Our Michigan legislators are choosing to be on the right side of history," she says. "We are making a statement today that Michiganders need to be treated equally under the law.”
But the Republican state House speaker says any effort to reverse the same-sex marriage ban should start with a citizen-initiated petition drive. And gay rights activists are setting their sights on Michigan’s November-2016 ballot.
For the Michigan Public Radio Network, I’m Rick Pluta at the state Capitol.