Mich. Bullying Bill to Drop Religious Exemption

[William769]

LGBT and Muslim activists are voicing relief that a Michigan antibullying bill will be changed so it no longer includes an exception for expressions of “sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction.”

The state Senate earlier this month passed a version of the bill including that language, which some observers thought amounted to a license to bully LGBT people or members of minority faiths. The House last week approved a version without that exception, and Republican senator Rick Jones, who backed the provision, agreed Monday to drop it from the Senate version, Religion News Service reports. The bill requires all Michigan school districts to have antibullying policies.

“Senate Republicans only wanted to protect free speech, Jones said, and never intended to create a religious exception for bullying,” the news service reports. “Had he foreseen the controversy, Jones said he would have removed the problematic language.”

Still, the legislation does not go far enough because it does not list characteristics, such as sexual orientation, that might make students vulnerable to bullying, Michael Gregor (pictured) of the LGBT group Equality Michigan told the news service. “We are grateful that this legislation moves forward without the license to bully based on an outrageous religious exception, but that said, it won’t be effective,” he said.

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/11/15/Mich_Bullying_Bill_to_Drop_Religious_Exemption/

[Snotcicles]

1. Recall Randy Richardville. nt

[Wheezy]

2. It's a start.

I can't get to the link at the moment (it keeps timing out) but it sounds like the bill still has problems in its revised form.

[noiretextatique]

3. "Senate Republicans only wanted to protect free speech..."

why don't they just admit they are hateful bigots who had to be publicly shamed to do the right thing?

[Jack Rabbit]

4. Thank you for posting.

It still sounds like a toothless bill, but the language contained until was definitely counterproductive to any legislation that merits the characterization "anti-bullying."

[applegrove]

5. Thank god.

[Rowdyboy]

6. Wonder if it will still pass?