Arizona legislators shelve gay bill

Source: The Hill

February 28, 2014, 05:01 pm

By Mike Lillis

Legislators in Arizona appear to be giving up the fight for vetoed legislation that would allow businesses to refuse service to gay people on religious grounds.

Although a number of Republicans, conservative groups and religious rights advocates have said the bill is needed to protect constitutionally guaranteed rights, the GOP-led legislature is ready to move on to other issues, according to the state senator who sponsored the contentious proposal.

"I doubt we will try again this year," Sen. Steven B. Yarbrough (R) said Friday in a short email. "We have a lot of other legislation to try to get home and there will be the inevitable changes manifested by election year."

The news won't be welcomed by the conservative pundits and advocacy groups that had urged the bill's passage. Many of those voices, outraged at Gov. Jan Brewer's (R) veto, were likely hopeful that the Republican-led legislature would try again this year.



Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/199600-arizona-legislators-shelve-gay-bill