According to the Daily Mail, the Democrat controlled Michigan House of Representatives has passed a bill called HB 4474, commonly referred to as a “hate speech” bill. This legislation includes criminal penalties for causing individuals to “feel terrorized, frightened, or threatened,” with “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression” included as protected classes.
Referring to Dylan Mulvaney or any other trans identified biological male accurately, as a “man”, could potentially lead to legal consequences for people living in the Democrat controlled state of Michigan.
Intimidate means a willful course of conduct involving repeated or continuing harassment of another individual that would cause a reasonable individual to feel terrorized, frightened, or threatened, and that actually causes the victim to feel terrorized, frightened, or threatened.
Individuals found to be in violation of this proposed law could potentially face up to five years in prison. Additionally, there is a possibility of a $10,000 fine. This means that simply offending or “misgendering” a woke leftist could result in a significant prison sentence.
HB 4474 sailed through the Michigan House with a 59-50 margin and is now poised for deliberation in the State Senate. Given the Democrats’ control over the Senate as well, the bill’s approval seems highly likely.
Once this legislation takes effect, Michigan residents may find their only recourse lies within the judicial system. However, considering the outcomes of the 2020 election, redistricting efforts, and various other rulings, it is evident that even with a conservative-leaning court, there are no guarantees for Americans.
Professor Emeritus William Wagner, an esteemed constitutional law expert and former federal judge, expressed his apprehensions about the proposed legislation in an interview with the Daily Wire. He cautioned that the bill could be exploited to suppress conservative viewpoints or any speech that contradicts the narrative endorsed by the Michigan government.
“Make no mistake about it. Those advocating for this legislation will wield these policies as a weapon capable of destroying conservative expression or viewpoints grounded in the sacred,” Wagner told The Daily Wire. “One merely needs to look at the scores of cases brought against schools, churches, businesses, and individuals around our country. Proponents use these laws to silence and financially cripple those who dare to adhere to a different viewpoint and oppose their agenda.”
