Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has vetoed a controversial bill which analysts said would have allowed businesses to turn away gay and lesbian customers.
BREWER: "Senate Bill 1062 has the potential to create more problems than it proports to resolve. And it could divide Arizona in ways we cannot even imagine." (Via Al Jazeera)
Crowds celebrated outside Arizona's statehouse in response to Brewer's veto. This bill had drawn national attention after passing through Arizona's legislature last week. Its creators said it was meant to protect the religious freedom of businesses who chose not to serve gays and lesbians. (Via KNXV)
But even many social conservatives thought the bill went too far.
In recent days, Brewer felt pressure from prominent Republicans to veto the bill — from Mitt Romney and from another recent Republican nominee for president, Arizona Sen. John McCain. (Twitter / @MittRomney,@SenJohnMcCain)
While far right voices, including Rush Limbaugh accused the bill's opponents of strongarm tactics.
LIMBAUGH: "The governor of Arizona is being bullied by the homosexual lobby and elsewhere. She's being bullied by the nationwide drive-by media."
The Human Rights Campaign gave its opinion via news release after the veto. The group's president wrote, "Brewer spared her state from institutional discrimination and economic catastrophe. Make no mistake, there is no better way to doom jobs in a state than by signing license-to-discriminate bills."
The fight over this particular issue is over in Arizona but not in other parts of the nation. Lawmakers in Missouri, Georgia and Kansas have all introduced legislation similar to Arizona's SB1062.
