Arizona Governor Jan Brewer vetoed SB 1062 last night, after days of national attention and activist scrutiny toward the bill, which sought to protect any individual, association or corporation from discrimination lawsuits if their actions are based on sincerely held religious beliefs," according to a Feb. 26 The New York Times. Brewer, a Republican who has previously signed laws that are morally questionable, declared that vetoing this bill was in accordance with Arizona values. While the veto is a victory for anyone who has paid any attention to the long histories of discrimination in this country, Brewer's intentions here should not win her any praise.
While SB 1062 has come under intense scrutiny, as it would have essentially legalized discrimination against the LGBT community, it is simply an upgrade of a law currently in place in Arizona. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act, created in 1999, currently prevents the imposition of any "substantial burden" on churches or religiously observant individuals. That is to say, Arizona is by no means sinless. Brewer's attempt to brush away criticisms of her state's record is moot while this law remains on the books.
She is not alone in her attempts at avoiding valid criticism. The Republican senators from Arizona, John McCain and Jeff Flake, both stood up early against the bill, as did former Governor and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. While their attention is refreshing, their intentions are not blameless. Midterms are only seven months away, and the Republican establishment is not looking to provide Democrats with material to help stave off the GOP's campaign to retake the Senate. Are they really so strongly opposed to the bill on a moral level? Or simply a political one?
Juxtaposing the failure of SB1062 with the ruling that called out Texas's gay marriage ban as unconstitutional seems to suggest a week of victories for equal rights in the U.S. Yet the fact that a bill like this one could go so far is unsettling
