Michigan governor pledges to veto religious freedom bills

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) is preemptively asserting that he’d veto a religious freedom bill if one ever passes through his state legislature.

“Given all the events that are happening in Indiana, I thought it would be good to clarify my position,” he told The Detroit Free Press, subsequently referring to the law by the acronym for the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

{mosads}”I would veto RFRA legislation in Michigan if it is a standalone piece of legislation.”

He added that while there are “strong feelings” about the issues of religious freedom and equality, his office is “working hard to see if there is a better way to address” the issues.

Snyder’s declaration comes as his southern neighbor, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R), faces significant backlash over his decision to sign a religious freedom bill last week. Critics have charged that the bill sanctions discrimination as long as it’s rooted in religious beliefs.

Snyder said that he does not believe that Pence had discriminatory intent in signing the bill.

Pence called for changes to the legislation this week that protected LGBT people from discrimination, and the legislature’s Republican leadership announced those fixes Thursday morning. The compromise also provides an exemption for religious organizations.

Groups on both sides of the issue are still criticizing that change as either an overreach or too soft, according to The Indianapolis Star. But a number of business groups rallied around the proposal during a press conference on Thursday.

An RFRA bill passed through the Michigan House last year, but never made it through the Senate, according to the Free Press. Proponents are currently trying to shepherd a new bill through, but it so far has not had any traction.