SB 1062 forcing Brewer to consider issues tied to faith, discrimination

By Yvonne Wingett Sanchez
The Republic | azcentral.com
Sat Feb 22, 2014 12:24 AM

Gov. Jan Brewer was the focus of intense lobbying Friday from groups on both sides of a controversial bill that has raised questions about faith, discrimination and Arizona’s tattered national image. Brewer and her staff monitored Senate Bill 1062 as it made its way through the Legislature and won approval Thursday with overwhelming Republican support.

As usual, Brewer has been tight-lipped about how she will act — she rarely comments before bills reach her desk. But she told a cable news network she planned to closely review the “controversial piece of legislation” that, among other things, would allow individuals to use religious beliefs as a defense against a lawsuit. Gay rights activists say the law would permit outright discrimination.

The Republican governor plans to meet with advisers in and out of her office, members of the business community, lawmakers and others as she weighs whether to sign the bill into law, her advisers said.

“They’ll go over every aspect of the bill — the pros and the cons, the risks — all of it,” said one insider familiar with the inner workings of the Governor’s Office and how Brewer approaches legislation. “In this instance, you have a bill that had a party-line vote. It puts her in a difficult spot.”

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