MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. — Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder on Thursday sidestepped the debate over whether same-sex marriage should be legalized in Michigan.
In an interview with the Associated Press during a Mackinac Island conference, Snyder declined to take a stand on a bill introduced this week in the state Senate that would repeal a ban on gay marriage in the Michigan Constitution.
Michigan Senate Joint Resolution W, introduced by Sentor Rebekah Warren (D-Washtenaw), would amend the Michigan Constitution to remove the 2004 prohibition on same-sex marriage.
The first-term Republican governor said the measure should go through the normal legislative process.
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Snyder said that as governor he’s obligated to respect the state Constitution, but added that if voters decided to change the provision on gay marriage, he’d respect that as well.
Asked about his personal position on the issue, Snyder said he hasn’t gotten involved because he wants to focus on “jobs and kids.”
A recent poll found that a majority of Michigan voters support repealing the state’s ban on same-sex marriage, and replacing it with an amendment to allow gay couples the freedom to marry.
