Jan Brewer vetoed the bill on Wednesday evening. Other states copy Arizona SB 1062

It’s not just Arizona.

The state’s controversial bill, which Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed Wednesday, captured national media attention and put prominent Republicans on edge, who worried SB 1062 could have hurt the party. Meanwhile other states have moved toward similar measures within their own borders.


A Missouri state senator on Monday introduced legislation like Arizona’s that could provide cover for businesses to deny service to same-sex couples. In Georgia, two versions of a similar bill in the state House and Senate are moving quickly through the Legislature. In Kansas, a similar bill already passed Republican-led House earlier this month.

Other states considering legislation like Arizona’s include Ohio, Mississippi, Idaho, South Dakota, Tennessee and Oklahoma, according to The Associated Press.

( Also on POLITICO: GOP on Arizona bill: Make it go away)

While those bills aren’t drawing the national attention of SB 1062, they all aim to accomplish similar goals — giving businesses the ability to refuse service to customers based on religious beliefs.

“We’re trying to protect Missourians from attacks on their religious freedom,” Missouri state Sen. Wayne Wallingford told the Kansas City Star.

Wallingford said he based his legislation on the bills in Kansas and Arizona.

The traditionally pro-LGBT-issues White House was largely silent on the bill. In a press gaggle Wednesday aboard Air Force One, Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the White House does not “weigh in on all these individual pieces of legislation that pass through state legislature.”

“Based on the reports that I’ve seen — I’m not an attorney and haven’t analyzed the legislation — based on the reports, it’s clear that this piece of legislation doesn’t seem to be in line with the president’s commitment to equality and justice and fairness of all people, regardless of the color of their skin, their last name or who they love,” Earnest said, according to a White House transcript.

( Also on POLITICO: 10 things to know: Arizona SB 1062)

Brewer had been under significant pressure to veto the bill from her own party, however. Several prominent Republicans have urged her to veto the bill, including both of Arizona’s senators, Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Legislation ensuring businesses can’t be sued for denying service to gay customers grew in popularity following well-reported cases like Hobby Lobby’s Obamacare exemption lawsuit, and a Colorado lawsuit in which a judge ordered a baker to provide a wedding cake for a gay couple or face fines. As same-sex marriage has advanced nationwide, questions about such business services have become more pressing.

SB 1062 sought to change existing Arizona law on religious freedom to change the definition of who is covered from just religious institutions to “any individual, association, partnership, corporation, church, religious assembly or institution or other business organization.”

( Also on POLITICO: Romney to Brewer: Veto Arizona bill)

The bill passed the state Senate last week, 17 to 13, and the state House last Thursday, 33 to 27. However, since the bill caught the national media’s attention, three state Republican senators called a news conference to say they regretted their votes and to ask Brewer to veto the bill. If those three votes were switched to side with the Senate’s 13 Democrats, the bill would be defeated.

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