Michigan State House Votes to Protect LGBTQ+ Community from Bogus “Panic Defense”
Michigan's House of Reps just voted on Democratic party lines to ban "gay-trans panic defense" — a legal strategy allowing a defendant to justify violence.
Credit: Equality Michigan Action Network
Good news out of Michigan!
What happened:
Michigan’s House of Representatives just voted to ban “gay-trans panic defense” — a legal strategy allowing a defendant to justify violence based on their victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
Every single Democrat voted for this bill.
Every single Republican voted against it.
This bill has all but guaranteed safe passage, only because Michigan has a “Democratic trifecta” in which Democrats control the executive and legislative branches.
MVP’s role:
MVP local partners organized for years to finally win Michigan’s Democratic trifecta in 2022, by only 2,770 votes across four races — three House, one Senate.
MVP local partners Michigan People’s Campaign and We The People Action Fund executed significant get-out-the-vote work in these particular races.
Since 2019, MVP has helped moved over $3.8 million in partisan funds to 41 groups in Michigan.
The bigger picture:
Since the start of the 2023 legislative season, Michigan Democrats have been working furiously to pass a bold, progressive agenda to deliver tangible improvements in the daily lives of Michiganders.
So far in this year alone, Democrats have passed new laws repealing an abortion ban and anti-union legislation, as well as instituting clean energy expansion, gun protection, LGBTQ+ rights, a Working Families Tax Credit, and more.
As a result of all this, Michigan has become a blueprint for progressive governance, and a model for what is possible if we build long-lasting, grassroots, progressive state power everywhere.
Watch Jamila Martin, MVP’s Michigan State Advisor, talk about how local partners have organized toward this trifecta for years, and are now using a bold legislative agenda as part of their 2024 strategy to grow state legislative majorities, secure the state’s 15 crucial Presidential Electoral Votes, and win the open U.S. Senate seat.