Two weeks ago, I posted about the Michigan State Senate passing SB 137, which sanctioned bullying in schools on the basis of “sincerely held religious or moral conviction.” Click here to read that post.

“But thanks to media coverage and a great campaign by State Senator Gretchen Whitmer, a Republican lawmaker has agreed to remove the religious exemptions language from the final bill,” as reported on Queerty.

I’m pleased to hear this news and also happy that Rick Jones, the State Republican Senator who added the “religious or moral conviction” addendum agreed to “drop his amendment and vote for the House version after critics said the language could allow gay, Muslim or other minority students to face harassment,” as quoted from The Washington Post.

Jones also said that “had he foreseen the controversy, . . . he would have removed the problematic language.”

I’m grateful when a politician realizes his/her mistake and does what is right to rectify it. Although the State Republicans “only wanted to protect free speech,” they understood the damaging ramifications of the amendment.

This just goes to show us that when our elected officials get something wrong, it’s up to us to make our voices heard. When we do, we are able to affect change. That’s something we should always remember.