Could An Anti-sodomy Clause In The Logan’s Law Animal Abuser Bill Kill The Bill?

Logan's Law was named for a Siberian husky who was intentionally burned with acid and is intended to crack down on animal cruelty.  The backers of Logan’s Law are working to create a register of animal abusers so that a person convicted of abusing an animal cannot abuse another animal

as a pet owner.

However, this legislation is becoming about more than just animal abuse.  It is including prohibiting certain consensual sex acts between two adults. 

The Supreme Court rendering anti-sodomy laws unconstitutional in 2003, Michigan is one of more than a dozen states that still has a sodomy ban on the books. Not only does it ban anal and oral sex for gay couples, it also bans the acts between straight partners, and even equates them to bestiality.

A new package of bills designed to keep pets out of the hands of animal abusers includes an update to the text of the ban, but leaves the restriction on consensual sex between humans intact.

Republican Senator Rick Jones’ SB 219 updates the ban to read: “A person who commits the abominable and detestable crime against nature either with mankind or with any animal is guilty of a felony.”

It’s that “with mankind,” that’s with issue, and technically leaves straight and gay couples practicing anal and oral sex at risk of a prison sentence of up to 15 years – or even up to life if the offender is a “sexually delinquent person.”

Could this be why Arlan Meekhof (R), was the lone Nay vote on the bill as it passed the Senate with support of all remaining Republicans and 100% of the Senate Democrats?

Any bill that originates in one side of the legislature must be approved exactly by the other side.  If the House doesn’t approve the Senate version, the bill dies or if it is amended it goes to the Senate for approval as amended.   There is a chance though that the senate may not pick up the bill again.

Some Of the Logan's Law Founders and Volunteers, Roger Huntington, Michele Zobl, Carl Fese, 

Valerie Grondzik Lawson, Matt Falk, Nancy Falk and Nick Markopoulos.