The Supreme Court opens a door for same-sex marriage in Michigan, but that doesn't mean Republican legislators and allies are ready to go through it.
“Michigan’s Constitution stands and the will of the people to define marriage as between one man and one woman endures in the Great Lakes State,” Atty. Gen. Bill Schuette says in a statement after Wednesday's historic 5-4 ruling against the federal Defense of Marriage Act.
He's quoted in The Detroit News by Marisa Schultz, who adds:
Movement has been underway in Michigan to put the question to voters again in 2016. Democratic state representatives said earlier this week they are preparing to sponsor a package of legislation that would ask voters to repeal the constitutional amendment outlawing gay marriage.
The state Senate's top Democrat, Gretchen Whitmer of East Lansing, reacts to the justices' decision with a vow to "move forward."
“Today’s ruling is a proud step forward for our nation and affirms the belief that love, not politics, should be the only factor that determines whether any two Americans choose to get married. I was proud to sponsor legislation to recognize same-sex marriages here in Michigan and now, with today’s ruling from the Supreme Court, it’s clear that it’s time to move forward on that process to ensure that same-sex couples have the same rights, opportunities and protections as everyone else in our state.”
A majority of voters appear to be on her side, Schultz notes.
A statewide poll conducted in May found 56.8 percent of Michiganians support same-sex marriage, up 12.5 percentage points from a year ago. About 54 percent of voters would repeal Michigan's 2004 constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, according to a Glengariff Group poll of 600 registered voters.
