Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson says he won't sign his state's so-called "religious freedom" bill — at least not in its current form.
"I've expressed my view to the legislature ... that changes be made in the current bill to make it reflect the federal law. That, I think, sets the right tone for Arkansas. We'll look at additional action down the road as needed," Hutchinson said. (Video via CNN)
On Tuesday, the Arkansas Legislature sent the bill to the desk of its Republican governor. It closely mirrored the Indiana law, which critics say could allow businesses to refuse service to gay and lesbian customers.
One of Arkansas' largest corporations, Wal-Mart, is among the companies that have criticized the state's religious freedom bill.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence called on lawmakers Tuesday to clarify its religious freedom bill, asking for language to be added making it clear it doesn't allow discrimination.
"Clearly, there's been misunderstanding."
Arkansas' bill also lacked that language. (Video via C-SPAN)
This video includes images from Getty Images Jim Bowen / CC BY 2.0 and Mike Mozart / CC BY 2.0.
