Friends, family could perform weddings without getting ordained under Michigan bill

Michigan couples planning their weddings could have a family member or friend officiate a ceremony without needing any kind of religious authorization under legislation that recently passed the Michigan Senate.
The proposal would also expand the list of elected officials who can perform marriages in the state. The bills in the package passed the Michigan Senate June 10, with support of every Democratic lawmaker in the chamber and three Republicans: state Sens. Jon Bumstead of North Muskegon and Michael Webber of Rochester Hills, along with Senate Minority Leader and GOP gubernatorial candidate Aric Nesbitt of Porter Township.
Under current state law, marriages in Michigan can be solemnized by judges, mayors, county clerks and religious practitioners. Because Wayne County is so large, the law allows employees of the clerk's office to also perform marriages.
Township supervisors, state lawmakers and civil celebrants would be added to the list statewide under the bill approved by the Michigan Senate. The legislation defines a civil celebrant as someone who is at least 18 years old and "works in accordance with the wishes of the client couple."
Sixty-one percent of Michigan adults identify as Christians, 6% identify with other religions and 31% of Michigan adults are religiously unaffiliated, according to the Pew Research Center's 2023-24 U.S. Religious Landscape Study Interactive Database.
By enabling judges and some local officials to solemnize marriages, current state law allows for non-religious marriage ceremonies in Michigan.
"But a lot of people don't want somebody they don't know conducting the most important ceremony in their life," said bill sponsor state Sen. Veronica Klinefelt, D-Eastpointe, in a June 3 hearing on her legislation. As a workaround, an officiant chosen by a couple will go online and pay a fee to obtain a certificate as an ordained minister. This new legislation would allow a couple's chosen officiant to skip that step.
State Sen. Kevin Daley, R-Lum, who opposed the legislation, characterized it as a blow to marriage. "Allowing just anybody to officiate a wedding will further weaken what should be a very serious undertaking," he said. "I'd be glad to support legislation to require real training to become a wedding officiant, thus adding an extra layer of dignity and importance to the proceedings."
A separate bill voted on by the Michigan Senate would increase the fine for violating the state's marriage license law from $100 to $500.
Michigan's marriage rate has steadily declined since 1970, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. It reached a low in 2020 of 8.4 individuals married per 1,000 residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, but marriage rates have not bounced back to pre-pandemic levels.
In order for the legislation to land on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's desk, the GOP-controlled Michigan House would have to approve the bills passed by the state Senate.
Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan bill to expand who can perform weddings passes Senate

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

an hour ago

As Musk's 'robotaxi' rollout approaches, Democratic lawmakers in Texas try to throw up a roadblock

NEW YORK -- A group of Democratic lawmakers in Texas is asking Elon Musk to delay the planned rollout of driverless 'robotaxis' in the state this weekend to assure that the vehicles are safe. In a letter, seven state legislators asked Tesla to wait until September when a new law takes effect that will require several checks before autonomous vehicles can be deployed without a human in the driver's seat. Tesla is slated to begin testing a dozen of what it calls robotaxis for paying customers on Sunday in a limited area of Austin, Texas. 'We are formally requesting that Tesla delay autonomous robotaxi operations until the new law takes effect on September 1, 2025,' the letter from Wednesday, June 18, reads. 'We believe this is in the best interest of both public safety and building public trust in Tesla's operations.' It's not clear if the letter will have much impact. Republicans have been a dominant majority in the Texas Legislature for more than 20 years. State lawmakers and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott have generally embraced Musk and the jobs and investment he has brought to Texas, from his SpaceX rocket program on the coast, to his Tesla factory in Austin. The company, which is headquartered in Austin, did not responded immediately to a request for comment from The Associated Press. The law will require companies to secure approval from the state motor vehicles department to operate autonomous cars with passengers. That approval, in turn, would depend on sufficient proof that the cars won't pose a high risk to others if the self-driving system breaks down, among other reassurances. Companies would also have to file detailed plans for how first responders should handle the cars if there is a problem, such as an accident. The letter asked Tesla to assure the legislators it has met all the requirements of the law even if it decides to go ahead with the test run this weekend. The letter was earlier reported by Reuters. Musk has made the robotaxi program a priority at Tesla and a failure would likely be highly damaging to the company's stock, which has already tumbled 20% this year. Musk's political views and his affiliation with the Trump administration have drastically reduced sales of Tesla, particularly in Europe, where Musk's endorsement of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany party in February's election drew broad condemnation. Tesla shares bottomed out in March and have rebounded somewhat in recent months. Much of the rise reflects optimism that robotaxis will not only be deployed without a hitch, but that the service will quickly expand to other cities and eventually dominate the self-driving cab business. Rival Waymo is already picking up passengers in Austin and several other cities, and recently boasted of surpassing 10 million paid rides. In afternoon trading Friday, Tesla shares were largely unchanged at $320.

CNN

an hour ago

• CNN

Republicans might redraw House maps in Ohio and Texas to try to protect narrow majority

CNN — Facing the possibility of losing control of the U.S. House next year, Republicans are weighing aggressively redrawing congressional districts in two states in hopes of ousting several longtime Democratic lawmakers. In Ohio, a quirk in state law is giving Republican state legislators another run at drawing new lines for the state's 15 congressional districts. The goal would be to knock off two Democratic members of the House, giving the GOP a 12-3 advantage in the state's congressional delegation. State lawmakers could go even further and target a third Democratic seat. In Texas, meanwhile, Republicans are considering whether to hold a special legislative session to undertake a rare mid-decade map-drawing that supporters hope could result in the GOP picking up as many as five additional seats. Democrats need a net gain of just three seats to win the House, raising the stakes for Republicans and President Donald Trump, who could see a Democrat-led House block his legislative agenda and open new investigations of him in the second half of his final term. But redistricting is a double-edged sword: In drawing new lines, both states could also endanger GOP lawmakers by moving safe Republican territory into districts currently represented by Democrats. Adam Kincaid, president and executive director of the National Republican Redistricting Trust, favors an aggressive redistricting approach. 'It's a priority to keep the House, and Republicans should be looking for as many seats as we can get,' he said. The GOP's redistricting gains in 2022 were key to the party flipping the chamber in that election and retaining their majority in 2024, he added. 'There were a handful of seats that weren't politically possible to get before that may be possible now,' he added. 'It makes sense for Republicans to try ahead of 2026.' Redrawing maps is potentially risky for GOP incumbents if 2026 proves to be a favorable year for Democrats. Republicans will have to run in a year when Trump himself is not the ballot, helping to boost conservative turnout. 'It's both a gamble and an opportunity,' said Kyle Kondik, the managing editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball, a newsletter published by University of Virginia's Center for Politics. 'From the White House's perspective, would an aggressive Texas redraw increase their chances of holding the House next year? Yeah, probably. But it wouldn't guarantee anything.' Redistricting generally happens at the start of each decade to account for population shifts and ensure that each congressional and state legislative district holds roughly the same number of people. Some Democrats have denounced the potential rounds of mid-decade map-drawing, arguing that Republicans are trying to rig the process. 'Republicans are exploring further manipulation of egregious gerrymanders in red states like Texas and Ohio for one reason: they are terrified of the voters,' said Marina Jenkins, executive director of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, in a statement. 'It's a brazenly corrupt attempt to shield themselves from accountability at the ballot box and it must be stopped.' A third redistricting battle, meanwhile, is playing out in Wisconsin where two legal actions filed last month are challenging a congressional map that favors Republicans in a battleground state that's narrowly divided along partisan lines. Both cases are before the state Supreme Court, which has a liberal majority. Texas could go after border Democrats All but one Republican member of the Texas congressional delegation won their seats with more than 60% of the vote last November. All 25 GOP-held districts voted for Trump by at least 15 points in 2024, Kondik noted. A new GOP map in Texas is likely to shift voters from safely red districts into ones held by Democrats to help boost the number of Republicans that Texas sends to Congress. Currently, under a 2021 map, Republicans control 25 of the state's 38 House seats. (One safely Democratic seat in the Houston area is vacant following the death of Rep. Sylvester Turner. The current Texas congressional maps are the subject of litigation brought by groups representing Black and Latino voters who contend the lines drawn in 2021 discriminate against voters of color.) Clear targets include Democratic Reps. Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez, who represent border communities that have shifted to the right in recent years. Trump won both districts in 2024, part of a broader realignment among Latino voters. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, argued recently that an aggressive redraw could backfire on Republicans. 'If you make any changes to that map … they are going to endanger four to six Republican incumbents who are serving in the Congress right now,' he said to reporters. 'Be careful what you wish for.' Other Democrats have condemned any effort to change the district lines to further benefit the GOP. 'Texas Republicans should stand by the rule of law and the maps they drew four years ago, or they should finally work with Democrats to draw fair, independent congressional maps,' state Rep. Gene Wu, who chairs the Democratic caucus in the Texas House, said in a statement. 'Anything less is a desperate power grab from a party that knows Texas voters are ready to show them the door.' The White House did not respond to a CNN inquiry about the effort, which has been the subject of recent closed-door meetings in Washington among members of the state's congressional delegation. The state legislature, which finished its regular session earlier this month, is not scheduled to meet again until 2027. But Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has the authority to call special sessions and determine the issues lawmakers will address. Aides to the Texas governor did not respond to CNN inquiries. Last week, Abbott told reporters that he had not 'identified a need for a special session,' according to the Dallas Morning News. The governor, however, did not close the door on the possibility, saying he was reviewing bills from the regular legislative session that could result in vetoes that would require him to summon lawmakers back to Austin to address outstanding matters. Abbott also declined to tell journalists whether Trump had asked him to order a redraw. Ohio GOP looks for as many as three seats In Ohio, the mid-decade redrawing of its congressional districts is an outgrowth of a state law that requires maps approved without bipartisan support to be redrawn after four years. Crafting new maps for next year's midterms will ultimately fall to the Republican-controlled General Assembly. The current map, crafted by a GOP-led legislature in 2022, has 10 Republicans and five Democrats. Two Democratic incumbents are viewed as likely targets of the GOP: Reps. Marcy Kaptur, a veteran lawmaker who represents northwestern Ohio, and Emilia Skyes, whose district includes Akron. Last year, Kaptur eked out a win even as her district went for Trump. Skyes, meanwhile, represents a highly competitive district that former Vice President Kamala Harris barely won. If Republicans choose an even more aggressive approach, a third Democrat, Rep. Greg Landsman, who represents Cincinnati, could be endangered.

USA Today

2 hours ago

• USA Today

Suspected killer of Minnesota lawmaker is a doomsday 'prepper' with 'bailout' plan

Recently unsealed court filings reveal how Vance Boelter was preparing himself and his family for a catastrophic event. Police found his wife with two guns and around $10,000 in cash. The man suspected of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband in a brazen attack while dressed as a police officer is a doomsday "prepper" who set aside passports, guns and hordes of cash in the event of a catastrophe, newly unsealed federal court documents show. Vance Boelter's wife relayed the doomsday plans after she was interviewed by police during a manhunt for Boelter after he allegedly shot four people on June 14, according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Minnesota. "During an interview, Boelter's wife identified that she had recently received a group text message from Boelter in a group text thread with their kids," FBI Special Agent Terry Getsch wrote. "The text stated something to the effect of they should prepare for war, they needed to get out of the house and people with guns may be showing up to the house." Law enforcement stopped Boelter's wife while she was traveling with her four children to visit friends northwest of the metro area, the federal complaint said. In the car, officers found a safe, all of the children's passports as well as Boelter's, about $10,000 in cash, a revolver pistol in the glove box and another semi-automatic pistol in a cooler, the FBI says in the complaint. Boelter, 57, is accused of killing state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and seriously wounding state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. The new information about Boelter and his family comes nearly a week after the attack that investigators say Boelter "extensively researched" and planned. He compiled a list of mostly Democratic state lawmakers and their addresses; he fitted his SUV with lights and a fake license plate to resemble a police squad car; and he purchased a silicone mask and a cache of weapons, according to a 20-page affidavit filed in federal court. Details about what Boelter's wife was carrying come after federal investigators revealed that Boelter sent multiple texts to her and the children hours after the shootings. In a group chat, he sent the following message at 6:18 a.m.: 'Dad went to war last night … I dont wanna say more because I dont wanna implicate anybody.' Around the same time, his wife received a separate message from Boelter. 'Words are not gonna explain how sorry I am for this situation … there's gonna be some people coming to the house armed and trigger-happy and I don't want you guys around.' Boelter was arrested late June 15 following the largest manhunt in Minnesota state history, authorities said. Federal prosecutors charged him with several counts of murder and stalking. Minnesota authorities say they believe Boelter impersonated law enforcement to gain access to the victims' homes, exchanged gunfire with police and fled on foot outside Minneapolis. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called Hortman's killing a "politically motivated assassination." What else to know about Boelter? At various times, Boelter has claimed to work in the food service industry. In other moments, he's claimed he runs large firms involved with 'security situations' overseas, including Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The recently unsealed court filings said Boelter worked at Red Lion, a 'security company and fishing outfit in Congo, Africa.' On LinkedIn, Boelter called himself CEO of Red Lion, according to reporting by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network, though the Red Lion website linked to his LinkedIn profile was down and Boelter said he was open to work. He also appeared as a speaker for a Minnesota nonprofit serving African immigrant communities. Minnesota Africans United, a Brooklyn Park nonprofit, said in a statement that Boelter participated in an August 2022 virtual webinar about trade and investment in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Boelter's participation as a speaker was facilitated by a third party, the statement said. He was never hired, paid or contracted by the nonprofit, which had no contact with him since the one-time appearance. A biography for the session described Boelter as having worked in Congo and for a security guard company. USA TODAY previously reported that a LinkedIn page believed to belong to Boelter showed he attended St. Cloud State University. University spokesperson Zach Dwyer confirmed Boelter graduated in 1996. Childhood friend called police on Boelter David Carlson, 59, told Reuters that he has been sharing a house in Minneapolis with Boelter for a little more than a year and last saw him the night of June 13. At about 6 a.m. on June 14, he received a text from Boelter. "He said that he might be dead soon," said Carlson, who called police. Carlson, who has known Boelter since fourth grade, said Boelter worked for an eye donation center and stayed at the house because it was close to his job. Carlson said he feels betrayed by Boelter and heartbroken for the victims, adding: "His family has got to suffer through this." Federal authorities said the Boelter family home was in Green Isle, Minnesota, about one mile from where he was ultimately captured. The Minnesota city of around 600 people is about an hour southwest of the Twin Cities. Green Isle is a small community, Mayor Shane Sheets told USA TODAY. Boelter had no known political involvement or affiliation in the city, he said