The Michigan legislature today gave final approval to Senate Bill 4 (full text) which adds "sexual orientation" and "gender identity or expression" to the anti-discrimination provisions of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. The bill now goes to Governor Gretchen Whitmer for her signature. Detroit News reports that she has promised to sign the bill into law. During its consideration of the bill, the Michigan Senate rejected a number of proposed religious liberty amendments. The Michigan Supreme Court previously held that existing language of the Act bars sexual orientation discrimination. The state Court of Claims has held that it also bars discrimination on the basis of gender identity. (See prior posting.) Senate Bill 4 now makes these holdings explicit.
