Snyder, Legislature putting Michigan on path of intolerance and regression

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Gov. Rick Snyder

(MLive file photo)

It was a banner week in the Legislature's apparent crusade to turn Michigan into a backwater, intolerant, anti-economic development state.

And Gov. Rick Snyder helped them right along.

After the near-frenzy of scorched-earth policies approved by both chambers in recent days, moderate residents are left wondering, what has happened to our state?

And more importantly, what happened to our moderate governor?

When MLive endorsed Snyder last November, we declared it was time for him to start acting more like a CEO than a CFO. We called on him to use his bully pulpit to address critical policy issues and better represent the whole state.

In the past week, he failed those expectations.

Snyder failed 13,000 children in foster care by limiting their access to loving and stable forever homes when he signed the "religious objection" adoption bills.

With the same stroke of his pen, he failed the countless same sex couples who are ready, willing and able to provide homes to those needy and often troubled children by making it harder for them to adopt.

And while these bills were clearly aimed at same-sex couples, they will also allow faith-based agencies that receive state funding to turn away people of other faiths, unmarried couples, mixed race couples -- anyone who doesn't meet their standards.

It amounts to state-sanctioned discrimination and it is inexcusable.

And he failed all Michigan residents by staining our image to the world as a state that supports bigotry. Those looking to locate their businesses and families in a progressive state certainly will not choose Michigan, with policies like this.

The adoption measure was just one in a litany of recent moves by a GOP-led Legislature hell-bent on catering to the fringes of its party.

Showing a streak of cruelty, they passed a bill, and Snyder signed it, that will allow the state to kick entire needy families off welfare cash assistance if one child in the family is chronically truant. And as part of House Speaker Kevin Cotter's road funding package, the House voted to raise taxes on the lowest income workers by eliminating the Earned Income Tax Credit.

The House also voted to significantly cut economic development programs and divert that money to roads. While there certainly is room for reform, deep cuts are a shortsighted move that will hurt Michigan's ability to compete with other states for new business.

Cotter and his anti-tax comrades also continue to push the irresponsible idea that we should count on projected future revenue growth to fund roads rather than doing the hard work of securing a new revenue stream.

Meanwhile, the Senate approved for consideration a measure to eliminate the entire Michigan Film Office. Reforming film incentives would be logical. Eliminating the entire office, while 49 other states have one, sends a message about our state, drenched in dogma.

The Senate also passed the "Death Star" bill that would stop local communities from being able to require employers to provide things like prevailing wage and sick days.

Perhaps most strangely, Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof thought it would be wise to devote time on Thursday to micromanaging how schools teach children about the U.S. and Michigan constitutions. The bill, which passed on party lines, requires schools to teach the portions of the documents that mention religion.

We have crumbling roads, struggling schools and an economy that is still near the bottom. And these are Meekhof's priorities: eliminating the film office, removing local control of wages, and pushing religion in school curriculum?

After the defeat of Proposal 1, there was an overwhelming outcry from voters that legislators should forfeit their summer break and pass a road funding deal -- one that relied on new revenue rather than raiding funds from schools, cities and the poor.

Instead, we've seen a nonstop display of intolerance, anti-progress and anti-economic development sentiment, and a willingness to trample opposition underfoot -- while ignoring pressing governance and policy issues.

And Snyder is signing these bills as fast as they hit his desk. Gov. Snyder, is this your vision for Michigan?

This is the opinion of the editorial board of MLive Media Group, the parent company of MLive.com. The board is made up of the company's executive leadership, content directors and editors who oversee the 10 local markets that make up MLive Media Group. See the full list of editorial board members.

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