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Gov. Brewer Mulls an Anti-Gay Discrimination Law

Capitol Media Services file photo by Howard Fischer

Gov. Jan Brewer said Tuesday it may be time to consider whether the state should ban discrimination against gays. Arizona Public Radio’s Howard Fischer explains.

Brewer gained national publicity earlier this year by vetoing SB 1062, a measure some said would authorize businesses owners to use their sincerely held religious beliefs to refuse to serve gays. Brewer said at the time the measure was a solution in search of a problem. But, she also noted the law is unnecessary for another reason: such discrimination already is legal since the state’s civil rights laws cover only things like race, religion and gender. So that leaves the question: Should those protections be extended to gays?

“It’s certainly something that I believe if it needs to be addressed it needs to be debated in the Legislature. Testimony needs to be presented. And let the representatives of the people that have been elected by the populace of the state of Arizona determine and get it up to the governor,” she said.

And what would she do with such a bill?

“Well, I don’t know what would be in that bill or how they would write it. But, I certainly would evaluate it and do what I thought was the right thing to do for the state,”

Brewer said she does not believe in discrimination in any form. But, the governor also said she’s not sure there’s a need for a new law because there is not much discrimination any more against gays.

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