Report: Lawmaker Behind Michigan’s Pornography Ban Tied to Porn Site

A Michigan lawmaker who helped introduce a sweeping proposal to ban pornography in the state is now the subject of an unverified report linking him to a pornographic website.

Michigan House Bill 4938 Overview

The proposed Michigan bill, House Bill 4938, introduced by Rep. Josh Schriver (R-Oxford) and five Republican co-sponsors, aims to outlaw the creation, distribution, and possession of pornography in Michigan. The bill would cover sexual content in all forms, including real, animated, written, or digital depictions, and could also target content featuring transgender or gender-nonconforming individuals.

House Bill 4938 is under review in the Michigan House Judiciary Committee and has drawn national attention for its broad scope and strict penalties.

Allegations Against Rep. Josh Schriver

But now one of the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Josh Schriver, has been linked to a pornographic website in unverified reports from the Detroit Metro Times. The reports allege that an account on Fling.com, tied to Schriver’s personal AOL email address, listed interests such as “fetish” and “group sex.” While the claims haven’t been independently verified, they’ve already stirred up additional controversy around the bill.

Lawmaker’s Response

Schriver has denied the allegations, telling the Detroit Metro Times that the records were “forged.”

If House Bill 4938 passes, Michigan ISPs would have to block access to pornography, with fines for any violations. Along with strict rules on creating, sharing, or owning pornography, the bill could carry heavy penalties, raising questions about how it could actually be enforced.