LANSING, Mich. — “Just a terrible act that one would commit against a place of worship,” Rabbi Michael Schadick from Temple Emanuel recalled about a morning he arrived at work back in 2019. “I put the key in the door and there I was confronted with two horrific images of Hitler.”
Vandalism, even malicious destruction of property, could be prosecuted in the state of Michigan; however, categorizing it as a hate crime is much harder.
Now, a group of Democratic lawmakers is trying to change that.
Michigan is one of 15 states that lacks an institutional desecration statute.
Representative Noah Arbit, alongside representatives Kristian Grant and Ranjeev Puri, introduced legislation Wednesday that aims to update the old law.
Current Michigan law does not protect for sexual orientation, gender identity nor people with disabilities.
“My family’s former place of worship fell victim to a white supremacist mass shooter,” Rep. Puri (D-Canton) said.
“My brother is in a wheelchair. He was in a car accident a little over ten years ago and just recently, this past fall, he was attacked by someone who just didn’t want him in their space,” Rep. Grant (D-Grand Rapids) added.
“Being part of the Jewish and LGBTQ+ communities, I promised my constituents that I would move heaven and earth to transform Michigan from a national laggard to a national leader on this issue, on the issue of preventing hate crimes and that’s what we’re doing today,” Rep. Arbit (D-West Bloomfield) explained.
In March, the FBI notified both Rep. Arbit and Attorney General Dana Nessel that a Michigan man threatened to harm them because they are Jewish.
“As we’ve seen this rise, our legal architecture to respond to hate crimes remain[s] stuck in 1988 so this legislation, both the Michigan Hate Crime Act, as well as the Institutional Desecration Act, will go a long way to making sure that Michigan is a national leader on hate crimes prevention, intervention and response,” Rep. Arbit added.
Lawmakers say the bills are a tool to prosecute hate crimes beyond surface damage done to a place of worship, or even a person.
“To prove that this was done because of who I am, because of what color I am, what abilities I have, who I love, you know, who I worship, whatever those things are, it’s the second step that shows, ‘okay, this individual took action against me, but does the state and community that I’m in support me or validate who I am?’” Rep. Grant said.
Legislators say that because offenses often are not prosecuted to the level of hate crime, the data does not reflect how often it happens.
These new bills would change that.
“I think what’s very important is that we are putting a stake into the ground and sending a message as the state of Michigan that the hate has no place here and that the state stands with the victims of these various communities.”
FOX 17 did reach out to the Michigan GOP and House Republicans for response to this legislation and have not yet heard back.
The lawmakers expect committee hearings to start in the next few months.
