Arizona Governor Jan Brewer announced tonight she had vetoed SB 1062, state legislation that was designed to protect the religious liberty of business owners.
“Senate Bill 1062 does not address a specific and present concern related to religious liberty in Arizona,” Brewer, a Republican, said in a statement. “I have not heard of one example in Arizona where a business owner’s religious liberty has been violated.
“The bill is broadly worded,” she added, “and could result in unintended and negative consequences.”
Ryan T. Anderson, William E. Simon Fellow at The Heritage Foundation, called the Arizona legislation “a good piece of public policy.”
“But because of constant misrepresentation in the media, a bill that never mentioned gays, lesbians, marriage or same-sex anything was labeled anti-gay Jim Crow legislation,” Anderson remarked. “In truth the bill merely protected religious liberty and took nothing away from anyone.
“Everyone should be free to live and love as they choose, but no one should demand that government coerce others into celebrating their relationship,” Anderson continued. “All Americans should remain free to believe and act in the public square based on their beliefs about marriage without fear of government penalty.”
This story was produced by The Foundry’s news team. Nothing here should be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of The Heritage Foundation.
