Rep. Dave Agema (R-Grandville) drew a sizable crowd to a town-hall-type meeting at the Anderson Office Building on May 10 to build support for passage of his HB 4769 (Senate Bill 701) called
American Laws for American Courts. While the bills themselves do not mention sharia law, the speakers and the audience made it clear that is their main concern. The audience appeared to be comprised primarily of Tea Party activists and religious fundamentalists concerned that Michigan courts are using international law – primarily sharia law – in deciding various cases.
This “highlight reel” features a woman in the audience prior to the event, as well as Rep. Agema, Mark Gurley, Alan Cropsey of the Attorney General’s Office, William Wagner of Cooley Law School, Richard Thompson of the Thomas More Law School (though he made clear these were personal remarks) and various audience members who asked questions at the end of the session.