Michigan Bills HB 4188, 4189 and 4190

“Faith-based adoption agencies would be allowed to refuse services to people who violate their sincerely held religious beliefs under three bills passed by the House Families, Children and Seniors committee Wednesday on straight party-line votes.

The bills, which would allow the agencies to refuse service to same-sex or unmarried couples, are moving as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments on whether same-sex marriage should be legal in Michigan and several other states in the region.

State Rep. Tom Hooker, R-Byron Center, said the Supreme Court deliberations make the issue more important for the state, especially since other states have passed legislation prohibiting such religious objections.

“There is a movement to try and force them out business. Other states have passed legislation that they have to accept anyone,” he said. “The more kids we can get adopted, the less we have in foster care.”

Democrats tried to get a series of seven amendments added to the bills that would: make the best interest of the child the overriding goal for agencies; require agencies to reveal their adoption policies if asked by a prospective couple and post that philosophy on their website and in their agency; tie bar the bill to one that would legalize adoptions by unmarried couples; and require adherence to the Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act and the federal Civil Rights Act.

All the amendments failed on 3-5, straight party-line votes.

The bills received support from faith-based adoptions agencies and the Michigan Catholic Conference, which said that allowing the religious objection exception would ensure a broad variety of adoption services in the state.

“Solidifying the state’s long-standing relationship with faith-based child placement agencies will result in​ more providers, which means more placement of foster children into forever families,” said Tom Hickson of the Catholic Conference. “This legislation does not prohibit adoption to any classification of persons, but merely places into law what the state has practiced for decades.”

But groups like the ACLU, Planned Parenthood and Equality Michigan said the bills would legalize discrimination against same-sex couples and others seeking to adopt children.

“It’s the best interst of the children we need to protect. This legislation protects the best interests of the adoption agencies,” said Rep. Marcia Hovey-Wright, D-Muskegon. “On the state funding issue, we’re subsidizing discrimination and I don’t think the state should be doing that.”

n the 2014-15 budget year, $19.9 million in state and federal funds went toward supporting adoption 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, HB 4188, 4189 and 4190, now move to the full House for consideration.”

Faith-based adoption agencies could refuse service[Detroit Free Press 3/4/15 by Kathleen Gray]

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