Pressure rises over Arizona discrimination bill

[ProSense]

Pressure rises over Arizona discrimination bill

By Steve Benen

Last week, Arizona’s Republican-led legislature became the first to pass a right-to-discriminate bill, sending the measure to Gov. Jan Brewer (R). Yesterday, with a national controversy unfolding, three GOP state senators who voted for the bill now want the governor to kill it.

“We feel it was a solution in search of a problem,” Sen. Bob Worsley, R-Mesa, said in an impromptu news conference outside the state Senate. He was joined by Sen. Steve Pierce, R-Prescott. The two, along with Senate Majority Whip Adam Driggs, R-Phoenix, sent Brewer a letter Monday morning asking for a veto.

“While our sincere intent in voting for this bill was to create a shield for all citizens’ religious liberties, the bill has instead been mischaracterized by its opponents as a sword for religious intolerance,” the three wrote. “These allegations are causing our state immeasurable harm.”

Note, these lawmakers aren’t saying, “Brewer should veto the bill because people in Arizona are entitled to basic human decency.” Instead, they’re effectively saying, “Brewer should veto the bill because liberals are mischaracterizing our good intentions.”

Sometimes, folks want to do the right thing for the wrong reasons...these three state senators are hardly the only ones calling on Brewer to veto the pending legislation. Indeed, private-sector leaders from Apple, American Airlines, Marriott Hotels, and the NFL also stepped up yesterday to call for the bill’s demise. The Arizona Chamber of Commerce denounced the measure the day after it passed...Arizona’s two U.S. Senators, Republicans John McCain and Jeff Flake, also issued Tweets calling on Brewer to veto the proposal, known in Arizona as SB1062.

So, what’s the governor going to do?

Brewer’s office has received the bill, but the governor has been in Washington for a meeting of the National Governors Association. She has until the end of the week to either sign it or veto it.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/pressure-rises-over-ariz-discrimination-bill

[Thinkingabout]

1. It makes one wonder why the bill was introduced in the first place.

I used to think legislatures was made up of smart intelligent people, like those who wrote the Constitution but it does not seem we have members who think past their prejudiced minds. You put a camera in front of some folks and the stupid comes out. We can do a better job of electing members capable of doing a good job. Hopefully Jan Brewer will do a proper job and veto this just to save the Republican-led legislature from ruin.

[RKP5637]

3. Yes, what you say used to be quite true. However, the US is now deluged with

a number of legislatures that are not particularly bright and abundantly lacking in vision. People elect them to office, but sadly they are often just like those they elect.

[Thinkingabout]

4. I guess it a sign of problems when stupid statements are given the crowd cheers, yep, the same ones

votes for those saying stupid things.

[RKP5637]

6. The rise of Idiocracy in America concerns me greatly, as well as the rise of the

faithful. These individuals can be easily manipulated toward whatever results one desires. Sadly, it often seems the manipulative goals are for less freedom, more persecution and backward turning of progress.

Given a full run, it will sink the US into an abysmal mess. I also very seriously think a fair number in legislatures are not mentally stable.

I've not substantiated the following, but I have also heard it said a fair number in state legislatures never graduated from high school.

I was so naive, I had often thought individuals making it to those levels were very wise and governed in the best interests of all of America. I was so wrong.

[RKP5637]

2. We, will end all business relations with Arizona if this goes into effect. There are way too many

places to acquire vendors from than Arizona. Our company does not support bigotry, homophobia and persecution. I don't think we will be alone by any means.

[panader0]

5. Sadly, even if Brewer vetoes the bill (and I think she will),

a lot of damage has already been done. The repub idiots who voted for this are now scared and backing away from it.
It is a shame, boycotts have a lot of "collateral damage", and many businesses will suffer regardless at this point.

[RKP5637]

7. And, sadly, a lot of businesses that were neutral. I had heard there was a portion of

the bill that was going to require businesses supporting it to publicly state such so they were easily identifiable. As I understand, that portion of of the bill was removed during reviews. So, unfortunately, all businesses in Arizona get thrown into the same pot, it seems.

In future business dealings with Arizona, it will be hard to erase this from our corporate mind, even if it gets vetoed, because it went far enough to demonstrate how the Arizona legislature thinks. Who wants to do business with a state with this type of representation. There are more deserving states of our business.

[ProSense]

8. Poll: Most Arizona Republicans Want Brewer To Veto Anti-Gay Bill

Poll: Most Arizona Republicans Want Brewer To Veto Anti-Gay Bill
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/poll-arizona-republicans-anti-gay-bill