MI-Gov: Rick Snyder (R) Claims MI Gay Marriage Ban For State Workers Saves Money

Asshole:

http://www.mlive.com/...

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A motion filed Friday by attorneys for Gov. Rick Snyder asks a federal judge to continue Michigan's ban on domestic partner benefits for same-sex couples who work for state and local governments.

The motion asks Judge David Lawson to rule in favor of the state in a lawsuit filed by five same-sex couples. The motion argues that the 2011 law banning the benefits "eliminates local government programs that are irrational and unfair" and promotes "financially sound" local agencies.

In June 2013, Lawson issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting the state from enforcing the law, Public Act 297, saying the plaintiffs in the case had a good chance of proving at trial that the law violates the equal protection guarantee of the U.S. Constitution.

"The plaintiffs fortify their position with statements from the sponsors of the legislation
suggesting that Public Act 297 targets same-sex partners and was motivated by animus," Lawson wrote in his order granting the injunction, which did not require public employers to offer the benefits if they were not previously. - MLive, 2/17/14

And here's Snyder's defense:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...

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The motion says PA 297 "is a logical and cohesive part of the effort to reduce costs and to address the fiscal insecurity of local governments that has increased exponentially over the past five years." Authored by State Attorney General Bill Schuette, the motion argues that the ban on domestic partner benefits doesn't just single out same-sex couples, but also precludes the state employee from sharing their benefits with an adult child, fraternal sibling or other anomalies that could arise if domestic partner benefits were dispensed.

"I would say that Public Act 297 of 2011 was about ensuring fiscal responsibility and stewardship as domestic partner benefit policies (regardless of sexual orientation; that was not the factor) can be written without real parameters and Michigan has to address the spiraling costs of health care for the benefit of our state’s taxpayers and all Michiganders," Sara Wurfel, Snyder's press secretary, told The Huffington Post in an email.

Supporters of the ban said in 2011 it would save the state $8 million annually. - Huffington Post, 2/18/13

A lot of this sounds like bull shit to me but then again, homophobia's a big thing in the MI GOP:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/...

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Republican National Committeeman Dave Agema, who has been criticized for his homophobic and anti-Muslim remarks, believes the GOP is being held hostage to "big money" donors who are following the "Devil's way."

Multiple U.S. representatives and members of the Republican Party called on Agema to resign earlier this year. RNC Chairman Reince Priebus did not ask Agema to resign, but said that the Michigan Republican's remarks are "patently wrong, lack merit and are devoid of any meaningful value."

Agema spoke about his colleagues' calls for his resignation at an early February event at the American Decency Association, which was captured on video and posted to YouTube on Monday.

"What happens is big money and big power goes to individuals and says you will come against Dave or I'm going to make sure you don't get any money. I got that right from Reince Priebus' mouth. That's what happened to him. They threatened to take several hundred thousand dollars out of the RNC unless they came out against me," he said at the event. "This is the Devil’s way—and this is the Democrats’ way—to split the party."

Agema said he would not step down because it would only hurt the GOP. - TPM, 2/18/14

The latest EPIC-MRA poll had Snyder leading his opponent, Mark Schauer (D. MI), by eight points but their accuracy record is mixed but the latest poll showed that base turnout can help Schauer:

http://www.mlive.com/...

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Yet if you are in the Schauer camp you could draw some solace from knowing that pro-choice voters favor him by a wide 55%-32% margin. The lead is a little bigger, 57%-33% in union households and the challenger has a ten-point lead with those between 50-and 64 years of age and a twenty-four point margin with those who don’t go to church.

In the all important moderate voter contest, it is a tie with each receiving 41% of the middle of the road vote.

President Barack Obama rode to victory over Mitt Romney by holding together the African-American vote and the “other” minority voting blocks.

Mr. Schauer is doing well there with a commanding 61-17 point lead with blacks and a 55%-30% lead with other minorities. The 17 points for a GOP incumbent is pretty good and Mr. Schauer will want to up that 61% figure before all the votes are counted.

In vote rich Wayne-Oakland-Macomb Counties the two are very close. Mr. Schauer gets 45% to Mr. Snyder’s 42% but with a 4% margin of error, the contest is a dead heat there. Across the rest of the state the governor is doing well with a 22 point lead in Mid-Michigan, 25 points in West Michigan and 20 and 27 points respectively in the Bay region and up North. - MLive, 2/18/14

Schauer has also been running a pro-equality platform and this latest stunt from Snyder could also help Schauer's campaign:

http://www.dailykos.com/...

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I came across a Facebook post yesterday that made me look twice. It had a black background and the iconic Michigan mitten in the colors of the LGBT rainbow. The post was from Mark Schauer, the Democratic challenger to Michigan’s anti-equality governor, Rick Snyder. As a Michigander, this was a first for me. A candidate for state-wide office is looking to attract voters to his campaign by trumpeting the need to make Michigan the next state to go equal.

Wow.

It has been common practice in Michigan, for Democratic candidates to be supportive of LGBT equality, but only if someone else brings up the subject. The way of the savvy politician here has always been to acknowledge your position pro or con and then move onto economic issues as quickly as possible. Move along. Nothing to see here. But Mark Schauer isn’t just announcing he’s gay-friendly, he is using marriage equality as a major issue in his campaign.

The link Mark posted on Facebook did not lead to the standard campaign donation page I expected to find. It led to a sign up “petition” for people who are pro-marriage equality. It’s a common way for politicians to gather email addresses for fundraising and to find dedicated campaign volunteers – Michiganders interested in an issues the campaign intends to highlight. The more someone cares about marriage equality, the harder they’ll work for a candidate who supports it.

The hidden message in that Facebook link, is that Mark Schauer plans on making Governor Rick Snyder’s anti-equality stance front and center as a campaign issue.

Mark Schauer was minority leader of the Michigan House, a member of the Michigan Senate, and his wife Christine is Calhoun County Treasurer. He is an experienced politician. Yet he seems to have made the political calculation that hearts and minds have changed since 2004, when a “DOMA” amendment was approved by Michigan voters. - The New Civil Rights Movement, 11/13/13

So we'll see.  If you want to get involved or donate to Schauer's campaign, you can do so here:
http://markschauer.com/