Republican lawmakers have expressed their disapproval after the Michigan Senate voted to lift a 1931 ban that prevented unmarried couples from living together.
What Happened: Earlier this week, all Senate Democrats and half of Republicans voted to pass Senate Bill 56 to lift a ban on live-in relationships which had been in place for decades, local media reported.
The law, which was rejected by half of Senate GOP members, criminalized the cohabitation of unmarried men and women. The legislation will now be sent to the state House for review, where Democrats hold a slim majority.
According to a 2016 analysis by the Senate Fiscal Agency, Michigan and Mississippi are the two states that still have policies that prohibit unmarried cohabitation. However, the law is rarely enforced but carries a fine of $1,000.
Although Michigan Democrats have referred to the law as outdated, Republicans think that retaining it would promote marriage. “This is really about bringing us into the 21st century,” said Stephanie Chang, Democratic state Senator.
A Republican member of the Senate, Ed McBroom, argued the reasons that the policy has remained after all these years are “clearly not obsolete.” He said the ban promotes “good morals.”
“It was passed because it was better for society, and particularly for children.”
Other GOP lawmakers also argued that they support the ban not to punish unmarried couples for cohabitation but are rather focused on the tax implications of the current prohibition.
“The bill before us today will clear the way for two unmarried individuals living together to meet dependency requirements and get those tax benefits,” state Senator Thomas Albert.
Why It Matters: Since the ban forbids taxpayers from claiming a dependent if their relationship with that individual violates state law, unmarried Michigan couples are unable to satisfy the requirements of the Internal Revenue Service.
In this way, federal law makes it impossible for them to apply for the tax benefits of being dependent.
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