Mich. Senate OKs Bill Banning Anal Sex, Punishable By Up to 15 Years

Despite the Supreme Court's landmark 2003 ruling on Lawrence v. Texas, which banned sodomy laws, the Michigan Senate passed a bill Thursday reaffirming the state's unconstitutional ban on anal sex, the New Civil Rights Movement reports.

Senate Bill 219 would make acts of sodomy a felony and punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The measure was part of a package of animal protection bills that would prohibit animal abusers from adopting pets. One of the clauses, however, has some peculiar language, and is aimed towards Michigan's penal code on bestiality and sodomy, which are conflated in the state.

"A person who commits the abominable and detestable crime against nature with mankind or with any animal is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for no more than 15 years," the measure reads.

The bill also proposes that if the person is already a sex offender, then they could be sentenced to life in prison, The New Civil Rights Movement reports.

SB 219, which is part of the Logan's Law package (named after a Siberian husky dog who died after acid was intentionally poured on him), is sponsored by GOP Sen. Rick Jones. Though the measure would ban convicted animal abusers from owning pets for five years, it also updates the language in the state's ban on bestiality and sodomy. Jones said removing the words banning sodomy "with mankind" would put SB 219 in jeopardy.

"The minute I cross that line and I start talking about the other stuff, I won't even get another hearing. It'll be done," he told The New Civil Rights Movement. "Nobody wants to touch it. I would rather not even bring up the topic, because I know what would happen. You'd get both sides screaming and you end up with a big fight that's not needed because it's unconstitutional."

The Michigan House is expected to consider the bill early this week.

Twelve states still have laws banning sodomy, despite the high court's ruling.