GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — A state House representative in Michigan intends to formally announce a resolution urging the United States Supreme Court to overturn the decision that granted same-sex couples the federal right to marry in all fifty states.
State Rep. Josh Schriver, R-Oxford, revealed the resolution Monday while announcing a press conference that will begin following Tuesday’s House session in Lansing.
In the announcement, Schriver said the state should demand new court action because the ruling “is at odds with the sanctity of marriage, the Michigan Constitution, and the principles upon which the country was established.”
He also claimed that the ruling has resulted in an increase in religious persecution, citing a 2022 incident in which a Grand Rapids wedding venue was criticized for refusing to host a same-sex ceremony.
According to Schriver, similar bills have already been introduced in Iowa, Idaho, and Montana.
Schriver, an outspoken Christian, is known for his strong opposition to same-sex marriage and other far-right positions.
He made headlines in December when he used social media to mock President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan, saying “Make gay marriage illegal again.” He is also promoting a speaking engagement later this week, where he intends to discuss his plans to pass “a law classifying abortion as murder.”
Following the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision, same-sex marriage became legally recognized nationwide. The lawsuit began as a series of court cases in four states—Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee—claiming that state-level bans on same-sex marriage were unconstitutional.
The district courts all agreed with the plaintiffs, but the appeals courts disagreed. SCOTUS announced that it would hear a formal appeal and issued a 5-4 decision on June 26, 2015.
Many Republicans, including Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, discussed the possibility of revisiting the Obergefell decision after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Trump has shown mixed feelings about same-sex rights over the years. Before entering politics, he had expressed his support for same-sex couples, including domestic partnership legislation. However, as he became more involved in Republican circles, his tone shifted.
In 2011, when discussing his presidential candidacy, Trump told Fox News that he was opposed to same-sex marriage. During his 2016 campaign, he promised voters that he would “strongly consider” appointing Supreme Court justices who would overturn the Obergefell decision.
Dobbs v. Jackson, which overturned Roe v. Wade and eliminated federal abortion rights, passed with a 6-3 vote, including all three Supreme Court Justices nominated by Trump: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett.
