Gretchen Whitmer signs bill ending Michigan's 'gay panic' defense

While Gov. Gretchen Whitmer fielded questions about speculation that she’ll be joining Kamala Harris as her vice presidential pick on the 2024 ballot, she signed Michigan’s $23.4B education budget into law Tuesday, as well as 39 other bills.

“Today, I was proud to sign 39 bills that will make a real difference in people’s lives and deliver on a range of bipartisan priorities,” Whitmer said in a news release “From raising wages for clean energy workers to bolstering Michigan’s infrastructure; improving the criminal justice system to investing in our schools, today’s legislation will build on our strong economic momentum and move Michigan forward.”

Among the bills signed was HB 4718, which bans the “gay panic” or “trans panic” legal defense. The defense allows defendants to argue that discovering a victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity justifies assault and even killing the victim.

Legislation to end ‘gay panic’ defense in Michigan gets House hearing

Bill sponsor state Rep. Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia) has told Michigan Advance how personal the bill is to her as when she was a young child, violent attacks on members of the LGBTQ+ community, such as the 1998 killing of Matthew Shepard, impacted her decision on when to come out herself.

“I have been incredibly passionate about this bill for several years, and I am elated to see it signed into law. Protecting the future of LGBTQ+ people across Michigan is something I have been working hard to do,” Pohutsky said in a statement Tuesday. “This bill, alongside many other monumental pieces of legislation brought forth by Michigan Democrats, is a huge step toward securing a safe and inclusive state for all Michiganders.”

Another bill, SB 599, expands parole eligibility for medically frail inmates who have a life expectancy of 18 months or less to be allowed to be placed in medical facilities.

The expansion allows the parole board to approve a location for a person to spend their last days in to be places other than a medical facility. Bill sponsor Sen. Erika Geiss (D-Taylor), told lawmakers in committee back in June that the expansion will allow eligible individuals with eligible offenses to spend their remaining days in dignity and with their loved ones.

Lawmakers in 2019 understood that medically frail inmates that met certain requirements did not pose a threat to the public if they were paroled at the end of their lives, Geiss told lawmakers back in June. Laws were passed to allow individuals to be eligible for such paroles but since their effective date only one medically frail person has been granted a parole.

“Unforeseen issues prevented that vision from initially being realized, but there’s a reason this bill received the bipartisan support it needed to pass: It’s common sense,” Geiss said in a statement Tuesday.” SB 599 provides important fixes to make sure this program operates as intended. Its passage is a rare criminal justice win for the Legislature, a win for the Dept. of Corrections, and, most importantly, a win for the people of Michigan, and particularly for the loved ones of medically frail incarcerated people.”

SBs 706 and 799 eliminate the $125 reinstatement fee Michigan drivers have to pay if they want to undo the suspicion on their license for not paying outstanding driver responsibility fees (DRFs), which used to be attached to some traffic tickets.

Former Gov. Rick Snyder signed the elimination of DRFs, which ranged from $100 to $1000, in 2018, but bill sponsor Sen. Veronica Klinefelt (D-Eastpointe), said in a statement Tuesday that the reinstatement fee is unfinished business by the 2018 Legislature and it needed to go, too.

The bill will allow the secretary of state to reinstate driver’s licenses to reinstate driver’s licenses in a move supporters say will boost economic achievements for affected individuals and improve their quality of life.

“For more than a decade, thousands of Michiganders have dealt with onerous driver responsibility fees, placing an unfair burden on them that made it harder for many to find work, keep their job, and support their family,” Klinefelt said in a statement Tuesday. “With the governor’s signature on these bills, we’re finally putting these punitive fees behind us and dismantling the remaining barriers facing residents who are seeking to restore their license.”

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