Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) has officially signed a bill that expands the state’s hate crime legislation to include sexual orientation and gender identity, along with a companion bill that updates sentencing guidelines for hate crimes.
Originally, the 1988 ethnic intimidation law only covered religion, ethnicity, and race. The new legislation broadens this scope to encompass LGBTQ+ identities, as well as factors like sex, age, disability, national origin, and affiliations with these groups.
Initially proposed in 2023, the bill encountered backlash after conservatives circulated false claims suggesting it would criminalize misgendering. This year, lawmakers introduced a revised version of the bill.
State Representative Noah Arbit (D), who co-sponsored the bill with Rep. Kristian Grant (D), expressed his commitment to combating rising hate crimes and extremism, saying, “As a Jew in a time of rampant antisemitism, and as a gay man in a time of uncertain rights, I promised the people of West Bloomfield, Commerce and the Lakes that I would move heaven and earth to tackle rising hate crimes and extremism.”
After two years of hard work against disinformation and political roadblocks, Arbit stated he was proud to fulfill that promise with the new law.
Under the new legislation, a first offense for committing a hate crime against one of the protected classes can result in a fine of $5,000 and/or up to two years in prison. Penalties increase based on the severity of the crime and the number of offenses.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) commended Gov. Whitmer for signing the bills, especially in light of the hate propagated during the Trump administration. “Over the past decade, we have seen not just an uptick in hate crimes, but a normalization of racist, antisemitic and bigoted language, symbolism and actions,” Nessel remarked, highlighting recent incidents like a close adviser to the President giving a Nazi salute at an inaugural rally.
In addition to these bills, Whitmer signed 17 others, including measures focused on student mental health, expanded protections from sexual violence, enhanced community violence intervention services, and the establishment of a threat assessment team for schools to monitor student behavior and mitigate threats.
“Each of these bills builds on my administration’s commitment to protecting Michiganders and their families,” Whitmer stated. “Since I took office, we’ve invested over $1.6 billion into public safety programs across six balanced, bipartisan budgets, ensuring Michiganders can feel safe no matter where they are. Together, let’s keep making a real difference in people’s lives.”
