El-Sayed Stands by Repeal of Michigan HIV Law, Which Once Carried 4-Year Prison Terms

2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 25

Abdul El-Sayed said he still backs scrapping Michigan’s old HIV criminalization law, reaffirming a position he took in his 2018 gubernatorial run as he campaigns in a pivotal Senate race.
The former law made it a felony for people who knew they had HIV to have sex without first disclosing it, carrying penalties of up to four years in prison.
El-Sayed argues disease should not be criminalized and has called the statute hateful and discriminatory; his campaign says he supported the bipartisan 2019 overhaul that narrowed felony liability and reduced some offenses to misdemeanors.
The issue lands in a high-stakes Michigan contest against Republican Mike Rogers for retiring Sen. Gary Peters’ seat, a race Democrats view as critical to regaining Senate control.