Michigan Hate Crime Bill May Silence Speech, GOP Warns

As the United States grapples with the shifting landscape of social and political discourse, a new hate crime law proposed in Michigan has Republican lawmakers up in arms. They argue that this measure, instead of enhancing protections, threatens to infringe upon the fundamental rights of free speech.

At the core of this issue lies Michigan’s newly proposed hate crime bill, HB 4474. The bill seeks to prosecute those who engage in “misgendering” – incorrectly identifying someone’s gender identity – with penalties that include imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to $10,000. Critics of the bill, like state Rep. Brad Paquette (R), argue that it turns “hurt feelings” into grounds for prosecution.

“The bill is founded in pure narcissism and victim mentality that’s built upon gender theory. It’s one that seeks to force others who adamantly disagree with gender theory to live in another’s delusion,” Paquette told the Washington Examiner.

Moreover, the bill’s language proposes that the concept of hate can be legally binding “regardless of the existence of any other motivating factors.” This aspect has provoked Republicans to sound an alarm, arguing that this seemingly innocent clause could pave the way to controlling and policing speech.

State Reps. Matt Maddock (R) and Angela Rigas (R) also criticized Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for supporting such legislation, which they perceive as an attempt to control how Americans speak.

“I think she’ll find Americans don’t take kindly when you try and police our speech,” Rigas said. Maddock added, “Their goal is to silence their opponents, criminalize our thoughts as thought crimes, and put every Christian in prison.”

Maddock went further to implore every Christian to get politically involved to challenge what he called the “woke Left’s anti-First Amendment agenda.” His fears resonate with a broader Republican sentiment that this bill could silence their speech and violate the constitutionally protected freedom of expression.

The bill, passed in a 59-50 vote by the Democratic-controlled state House, is now on its way to the Michigan State Senate. Despite the vehement Republican opposition, it’s expected that Whitmer will sign the bill into law if it reaches her desk.

However, some Republicans have raised concerns about the bill’s vague language, specifically the term “intimidation.” They worry this could lead to steep penalties for subjective perceptions of offensive speech.

“This legislation opens the door to severe penalties for words,” state Rep Steve Carra (R) warned. “Despite some speech being reprehensible, one of the wonderful things about our country is that you have the right to say it without fear of government retaliation or oppression.”