Tensions are brewing in Michigan as a controversial hate speech bill, HB 4474, sails through the state House and now awaits the scrutiny of the Senate. The legislation, branded by critics as a Pandora’s box, seeks to replace Michigan’s Ethnic Intimidation Act and aims to criminalize actions that make individuals “feel terrorized, frightened, or threatened.” A tangle in the bill lies in its vague wording, with the term “harassment” used as a jigsaw piece without a clear fit, and a potential First Amendment violation.
This bill, which is part of a legislative flotilla, introduces “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression” to the pantheon of protected classes. Felonious violators facing up to five years of incarceration and a fine reaching $10,000.
