Michigan and North Carolina pass Laws on Religious Exemptions

Gov. Rick Snyder of Michigan signs bills allowing adoption agencies to decline services to LGBT couples based on religion beliefs.

http://www.freep.com/story/news/pol...ichigan-same-sex-adoption-religious/71062938/

Snyder OKs letting Mich. groups decline adoption by gays

Gov. Rick Snyder signed a package of bills Thursday that will allow faith-based adoption groups in Michigan to refuse to serve prospective parents, like same-sex or unmarried couples, if doing so would violate the groups' religious beliefs.

Snyder's decision on faith-based adoption came as the U.S. Supreme Court is on the verge of ruling later this month on whether same-sex marriages should be legal in Michigan and several other states.

The decision came after the bill was placed on the Senate's agenda at the last minute -- and with no notice Wednesday -- passed and quickly concurred by the House of Representatives.

"The state has made significant progress in finding more forever homes for Michigan kids in recent years and that wouldn't be possible without the public-private partnerships that facilitate the adoption process," Snyder said in a statement. "We are focused on ensuring that as many children are adopted to as many loving families as possible regardless of their makeup."

Critics of the bills have derided the legislation as state-sanctioned discrimination against same-sex and unmarried couples — especially because many of the faith-based agencies receive public funding from the state. But supporters say it will help keep all options open for adoptive parents, while not forcing the agencies to compromise their principles for fear of legal retaliation or face closure because of a loss of state funding.

In the 2014-15 budget year, $19.9 million in state and federal funds went toward supporting agencies for adoption and foster care services, according to the state Department of Human Services. Nearly $10 million of that total went to faith-based agencies that would be covered under the religious objection bills.

The bills landed on Gov. Snyder's desk on Wednesday after a swift passage in the Senate and concurrence in the House. Every Republican voted for the bills, save for Sen. Tory Rocca, R-Sterling Heights, who joined all of Michigan's Senate Democrats in voting against them.

Democrats also tried to get eight amendments passed that would, among other things: require faith-based agencies to provide their policies in writing to potential clients, as well as on their websites and displayed in their facilities, and comply with state and federal civil rights laws; prohibit adoption agencies that receive more than $500,000 in state funding from being able to use the religious objection argument; allow for second parent adoptions for unmarried couples. Every amendment failed.

The Michigan Catholic Conference lauded the Governor's quick signature, saying: "It is critically important to solidify the State's long-standing partnership with faith-based child placement agencies operating collectively in the best interest of the state's most vulnerable children."

The liberal group Progress Michigan, however, said the swift passage of the bill was simple discrimination sanctioned and paid for by the state.

"Gov. Snyder has a history of siding with extreme corporate donors, but sacrificing the health and well-being of children is a new low — even for him," said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan. "Children deserve loving homes and our elected officials should be held accountable for supporting this blatant act of discrimination."

And the ACLU was preparing a lawsuit challenging the bills as discriminatory.

 

NC overrides Gov. McCrory's veto to allow for government magistrates and other officials to opt out of duties for gay marriages that they object to under religious views.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/11/us-usa-gaymarriage-north-carolina-idUSKBN0OR1YX20150611

North Carolina lawmakers allow 'opt-out' over same-sex marriage

Government officials in North Carolina can refuse to perform same-sex marriages by citing religious objections under a new law pushed through on Thursday by the Republican-led legislature, which voted to override the governor's veto.

The law protects the jobs of magistrates and other officials who refuse to perform marriages of gay couples by citing a “sincerely held religious objection.”

Governor Pat McCrory, also a Republican, had said the officials who swore to defend the Constitution and perform their duties of office should not be exempt from upholding their oath.

The state House of Representatives on Thursday overrode his veto by reaching the three-fifths majority in a 69-41 vote. The state Senate held a similar vote earlier this month.

North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore said in a statement after the vote that the law “protects sincerely held religious beliefs while also ensuring that magistrates are available in all jurisdictions to perform lawful marriages.”

Once they have asked to opt out in writing, magistrates would be barred from performing any marriage, gay or heterosexual, for six months.

Gay rights advocates said a court challenge is expected.

"This bill, which will now become law, is discriminatory and treats gay and lesbian couples as second class citizens," Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, the executive director of the advocacy group Campaign for Southern Equality, said in a statement.

A court decision last year invalidated a North Carolina law banning same-sex marriage. Gay marriage is legal in 37 states and Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide by the end of June whether same-sex marriage should be legal nationwide.

 

I've said this before but I would support taking marriage out of government hands but I've yet to see any serious proposals to do so. Further this never seemed to be an issue until gay marriage became an issue.

Anytime the subject of gay marriage comes up inevitable someone comes in saying we need to take government out of marriage. If people really feel that way let's see some lobbying, organizing and legislation to do so. Instead we see lobbying and legislation to try to block gay marriage and carve out exceptions to it.