On Thursday, the Michigan Senate passed an anti-animal cruelty bill with a rider reaffirming the state’s ban on sodomy, even though a 2003 Supreme Court decision ruled such bans unconstitutional. Though existing sodomy laws are rarely, if ever, enforced, the bill sends a nasty message to the LGBT+ community, who have been historically persecuted under such laws.
As it stands, engaging in anal or oral sex acts in Michigan carries a maximum penalty of fifteen years in prison.
The bill, SB 219, prohibits animal abuse offenders from owning a pet for five years after they’re convicted. However, the language of the bill reaffirms Michigan’s existing unconstitutional laws. It states, in part:
“Sec. 158. (1)
AnyA person whoshall commitCOMMITS the abominable and detestable crime against nature either with mankind or with any animalshall beIS guilty of a felony , punishable by imprisonmentin the state prisonFOR not more than 15 years, or ifsuch personTHE DEFENDANT was A SEXUALLY DELINQUENT PERSON at the time of thesaidoffense,a sexually delinquent person,may be AFELONY punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for an indeterminate term, the minimum of which shall be 1 day and the maximum of which shall be life.”
Senator Rick Jones, who spearheaded the bill, acknowledges the 2003 Supreme Court decision makes the language of the bill unconstitutional. However, Jones doesn’t want to make any changes to the bill. “The minute I cross that line and I start talking about the other stuff, I won’t even get another hearing. It’ll be done,” Jones told The New Civil Rights Movement.
“Nobody wants to touch it. I would rather not even bring up the topic, because I know what would happen. You’d get both sides screaming and you end up with a big fight that’s not needed because it’s unconstitutional.”
Jones maintains the best approach is to introduce legislation that knocks all unconstitutional laws off the books in Michigan.
You may also enjoy these related articles from our archives:
0 Comments