Republican lawmakers in Michigan introduced House Bill 4938, called the "Anticorruption of Public Morals Act," led by Rep. Josh Schriver (R-Oxford). The bill would prohibit distributing pornographic material in real, animated, digital, or written form, and also ban content “that includes a disconnection between biology and gender by an individual of 1 biological sex imitating, depicting, or representing himself or herself to be of the other biological sex,” as reported by FOX 2 Detroit.
Michigan lawmakers have introduced the "Anticorruption of Public Morals Act," which would ban pornography in the state and set penalties of up to 20 years in prison or a $100,000 fine, with higher penalties of 25 years and $125,000 for trafficking more than 100 pieces of prohibited content, according to CBS News Detroit. The bill would also require internet service providers to block access to such material. Rep. Josh Schriver, who is sponsoring the bill, said, "These measures defend children, safeguard our communities, and put families first," and that "Obscene and harmful content online threatens Michigan families, especially children," as per WLNS. If passed, Michigan would be the first state to enact a total ban on pornography, going beyond measures in Florida and Texas that require age verification. Civil liberty and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have raised concerns about the proposal.
Supporters of House Bill 4938 say it is intended to protect children, but the language on transgender representations has raised debate. If passed, Michigan would be the first state to regulate online content in this way, going beyond restrictions limited to minors under a 1957 Supreme Court decision. The House Judiciary Committee has not scheduled a hearing, and the bill states that if enacted, it would take effect 90 days after becoming law.
