To: The Michigan State House, The Michigan State Senate, and Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Senate Republicans: Protect the Universities
Governor Snyder and Members of the Michigan House and Senate,
please ensure that David Agema's amendment to impose a "sin tax" on public universities lands in the garbage bin where it belongs. During a time where public education operates under increasingly difficult financial constraints, ideologically driven legislations have even less of a place in educational policy than ever. The amendment violates the autonomy of public universities and is thus a direct attack on academic freedom.
Moreover, the amendment’s clear intent to divide the academic community is deeply immoral. Targeting unmarried couples, and by intent particularly gay and lesbian families, at a time where every public poll shows significant majority support for civil unions flies in the face of the country’s commitment to equality. Americans, as a rule, do not want the government to tell them how to conduct their private lives.
Middle class families already suffer from the rising cost of college tuition. If the amendment passes, the loss of funds may well contribute to an even steeper rise, thus penalizing all Michigan families in the interest of an obsolete sexual morality Americans have rejected resoundingly.
Please ensure that the reconciliation process eliminates this hate-driven piece of legislation.
House
Why is this important?
The Michigan House Republicans recently approved an amendment to the House bill on education funding written by Rep. David Agema: the amendment proposes that the state subtract 5% from the state funding of any university that offers health insurance coverage for employees who live with another adult outside of marriage. At a time where the state allocation is already set to be cut by a fifth or more, the amendment violates the universities' budgetary autonomy, interferes with their academic freedom, and penalizes all unmarried couples, particularly those who are not allowed to marry in the first place. The bill still needs to be reconciled with the Senate version. Please petition the Michigan Senators, both Republicans and Democrats, to oppose this nasty piece of legislation.