Gov. Jan Brewer Vetos Arizona "Turn Away the Gays" Bill

Apparently realizing that the Arizona GOP was on the verge of losing business community support and the potential cancellation of major events and conventions, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer vetoed SB 1062 which would have given Christofascists and Christofascist owned businesses to refuse to serve or provide services to gays - and potentially anyone else that they disapproved of based on "sincere religious belief."  Here is the text of Brewer's veto statement:

"Good evening, and thank you for joining me here today. 

"I am here to announce my decision on Senate Bill 1062. "As with every proposal that reaches my desk, I gave Senate Bill 1062 careful evaluation and deliberate consideration. I call them like I see them, despite the cheers or boos from the crowd. 

"I took the time necessary to make the RIGHT decision. I met or spoke with my attorneys, lawmakers and citizens supporting and opposing this legislation. "I listened ... and asked questions. 

"As Governor, I have protected religious freedoms when there is a specific and present concern that exists in OUR state. "And I have the record to prove it. 

"My agenda is to sign into law legislation that advances Arizona. "When I addressed the Legislature earlier this year, I made my priorities for this session abundantly clear…

"Among them are passing a responsible budget that continues Arizona's economic Comeback."From CEOs - to entrepreneurs - to business surveys - Arizona ranks as one the best states to grow or start a business. 

"Additionally, our IMMEDIATE challenge is fixing a broken Child Protection system."Instead, this is the first policy bill to cross my desk. "Senate Bill 1062 does not address a specific and present concern related to religious liberty in Arizona. I have not heard of one example in Arizona where a business owner's religious liberty has been violated. 

"The bill is broadly worded and could result in unintended and negative consequences.  "After weighing all of the arguments, I vetoed Senate Bill 1062 moments ago. 

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. 

"Going forward, let's turn the ugliness of the debate over Senate Bill 1062 into a renewed search for greater respect and understanding among ALL Arizonans and Americans. "Thank you."

Not surprisingly, the Center for Arizona Policy, a far right Christian organization and the main backer of SB 1062 is not happy with the result and gave a very disingenuous and dishonest response in an effort to mask the anti-gay animus that was the real motivation behind SB 1062:

"Today's veto of SB 1062 marks a sad day for Arizonans who cherish and understand religious liberty. SB 1062 passed the legislature for one reason only: to guarantee that all Arizonans would be free to live and work according to their faith. Opponents were desperate to distort this bill rather than debate the merits. Essentially, they succeeded in getting a veto of a bill that does not even exist.

"When the force of government compels one to speak or act contrary to their conscience, the government injures not only the dignity of the afflicted, but the dignity of our society as a whole.  "SB 1062 made certain that governmental laws cannot force people to violate their faith unless it has a compelling governmental interest-a balancing of interests that has been in federal law since 1993. 

The religious beliefs of all Arizonans must be respected and this bill did nothing more than affirm that. It is truly a tragic day in our state and nation when lies and personal attacks can over shadow the truth."

 Meanwhile, even though SB 1062 has been vetoed, its passage may come back to haunt many Arizona Republicans.  Here are excerpts from the Arizona Republic:

But pollsters and candidates for office say the issue isn’t likely to disappear from the political conversation any time soon.

In an election year in which Arizonans will select a governor, attorney general and state and congressional lawmakers, SB 1062 will be part of the campaign-trail conversation, they say.

With campaigns already under way, candidates are quickly calculating how to best explain their positions on the divisive bill, which would offer a legal defense for individuals and businesses that face discrimination lawsuits if they can prove they acted upon a “sincerely held religious belief.”

Its impact will vary depending on the race and other issues that surface between now and the fall elections. But some political observers expect Republican candidates who face competitive August primaries will have to walk a political tightrope on SB 1062 between the moderates in their party and the social conservatives.

Others expect Democrats, who widely oppose SB 1062, to hammer Republicans on the issue as an example of a party that’s out of step with mainstream society.

And some say anger among opponents could translate into young and gay voters turning out in droves for Democrats in November’s general election.

In Arizona’s most hotly contested races for Congress, SB 1062 could become fodder for campaign ads and mobilizing donors and volunteers, despite Washington not having a say on the state legislation.

Democrats seized quickly on the outcry. They criticized Republican candidates for supporting the bill — or not taking a stand — and blasted notices to supporters to urge Brewer to veto the bill.

Some campaign watchers speculated GOP challengers could lose support from the business community, while comments on candidates’ social-media accounts overwhelmingly ran against the bill.

May SB 1062 come back and bite many Republicans in the ass and cause severe hemorrhaging of voter support.