Arizona Governor Jan Brewer vetoed a bill that would have allowed business owners to turn away same-sex couples based on their religious beliefs.
On Wednesday, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer vetoed a bill that would have allowed business owners to turn away same-sex couples based on their religious beliefs.
According to Brewer, she knew that the decision to veto the bill was right for Arizona. “I call them as I see them, despite the cheers or the boos from the crowd,” Brewer stated. She was also of the belief that the bill could have “unintended and negative consequences.”
She continued, “To the supporters of the legislation, I want you to know that I understand that long-held norms about marriage and family are being challenged as never before. Our society is undergoing many dramatic changes. However, I sincerely believe that Senate Bill 1062 has the potential to create more problems than it purports to solve. It could divide Arizona in ways we cannot even imagine and no one would ever want. Religious liberty is a core American and Arizona value. So is non-discrimination.”
The governor tweeted a photo of herself about to veto the bill just moments before it happened:
Moments ago, I vetoed #SB1062. pic.twitter.com/gdQn0dG2vB
— Jan Brewer (@GovBrewer) February 27, 2014
It’s clear that the governor heavily weighed both sides of the bill before making her decision. “I sincerely believe that Senate Bill 1062 has the potential to create more problems than it purports to solve,” Brewer stated. Her belief that passage of the bill could result in problems was also clear, as she did not believe the measure to pinpont one “specific or pressing concern.”
Arizona is now the third state in the past month that has vetoed a “religious freedom” bill. Kansas and Tennessee both considered—and then vetoed—similar bills earlier in February.
Photo: Wikipedia
