It seemed, for a second, as if America was heading backwards.
Thankfully, Governor Jan Brewer, republican, of Arizona squashed that notion when she vetoed a religious bill that would have allowed businesses to refuse service based on religious beliefs. The bill was passed by Arizona’s republican-controlled Legislature on February 21st and cast a glaring spotlight on Arizona within hours. Opponents called the bill discriminatory because it would give businesses the right to refuse service to gay men and lesbians, simply because their way of life conflicted with the business owner’s religious beliefs. But the discrimination allowed by the bill could have stretched past sexual orientation into other refusals of service. For instance, a Muslim taxi driver could refuse to pick up a woman travelling alone because that goes against Muslim beliefs about gender roles.
Junior, Jamal Ervin said that “The bill is discriminatory because you can’t refuse to someone because of what they believe and what they love.”
Supporters of the bill argued that it maintains the religious liberty entitled to each and every American by the Constitution. Senator Steve Yarbrough, a proponent of the bill, said during a debate that, “This bill is not about discrimination. This bill is about preventing discrimination against people who are clearly living out their faith.”
Yarbrough’s view was echoed in a message sent to Brewer on Facebook that said, “If we deny someone their religious beliefs or the right to do business with whom they choose, we truly are giving up more and more, all of us, gay or straight.”
Sophomore, Drew Pepin said, “The bill walks a fine line because it’s obviously discriminatory to treat people differently based on their religious beliefs as America promises Freedom of Religion, but it’s also difficult to tell businesses that they must serve someone who violates their belief system for the same reason: America promises religious freedom.”
Aside from qualms about the bill’s broad allowance for discrimination, opponents of the bill feared it would crush Arizona’s economy. For this reason, many prominent republicans like Mitt Romney and John McCain opposed the bill. The economic woes were realized when Arizona’s economy weakened as the bill was being deliberated over. The National Football League, which had planned to hold the Supe r Bowl in Arizona next year, began actively searching for other options. McCain said after Brewer’s veto, “I hope that we can now move on from this controversy and assure the American people that everyone is welcome to live, work and enjoy our beautiful state of Arizona.”