Ark. governor won't sign 'religious freedom' bill as is

LITTLE ROCK — As local and state leaders and organizations pressured Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson to veto House Bill 1228 — the Religious Freedom Restoration Act — the governor said Wednesday he won't sign the bill in its current form.

The full House passed the "religious freedom" bill Tuesday afternoon after three concurred amendments passed the House Judiciary Committee on Monday. The measure was sponsored by Rep. Bob Ballinger, R-Hindsville. Hutchinson had said he would sign the bill into law.

Ballinger said the governor has five days from the time he received the bill — not including Sunday — to act. He said that if Hutchinson does nothing, HB1228 will go into law; he has to veto the bill to prevent that.

The Republican governor said the bill wasn't intended to allow discrimination based on sexual orientation.

"It has been my intention all along to have House Bill 1228 to mirror the federal act," Hutchinson said Wednesday. "The bill that is on my desk at the present time does not ... mirror the federal law."

He was referring to the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act signed by President Clinton in 1993.

"I asked that changes be made in the legislation. I've asked leaders in the General Assembly to recall the bill so that it mirrors the federal religious act," Hutchinson said.

He wants lawmakers to either recall the bill or pass a follow-up measure to make the proposal more closely mirror the federal law. He wants the bill to make sure it reflects the values of the people of Arkansas and minimizes discrimination in the workplace.

Hutchinson didn't specifically call for changes that would prohibit the law from being used to deny services to someone, but he said he didn't believe the bill was intended to do so.

"This law that is under consideration does not extend discrimination," Hutchinson said.

In speaking about the divisiveness of the issue, Hutchinson said there was a divide in his own house. His son Seth signed the petition urging him to veto the bill.

"This is a bill that in ordinary times would not be controversial, but these are not ordinary times," he said.

"I want to make it clear that Arkansas wants to be a place of tolerance," Hutchinson said.

Before Wednesday's news conference, many organizations raised concerns about what the measure could mean for business in the Natural State.

Retail giant Walmart, headquartered in Bentonville, posted a statement to Twitter on Tuesday saying HB 1228 does not reflect the company's values and urged Hutchinson to veto the legislation.

The bill as written would prevent state and local governments from infringing upon religious beliefs without a "compelling" interest. Supporters maintain it is not a discriminatory bill, but opponents say it will allow widespread discrimination against gays and lesbians.

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed a similar measure into law last week and is seeing widespread criticism by businesses and organizations.

Monday, Acxiom, one of Arkansas' largest employers and a longtime supporter of workplace diversity, announced the marketing technology company's firm opposition to the bill. In a letter to the governor, the company wrote, "The bill inflicts pain on some of our citizens and disgrace upon us all."

Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola encouraged Hutchinson to veto the bill. In a news release Tuesday he stated, "Any piece of legislation that is so divisive cannot possibly be good for the state of Arkansas and its people."

"There certainly is that impression that it would be a negative step," state economic forecaster Michael Pakko said. He said it's not clear whether there would be drastic implications for the state if the bill becomes law, but it would affect some business decisions, especially for companies that have taken a stance against the bill.

"There is a likelihood this bill would cause confusion more than anything else, and that alone could have some negative impact on the economy," Pakko said.

"It's just not the way to do business, and we're not going to do it that way," said North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce CEO Terry Hartwick.

He said discrimination has never been an issue in the area, and he doesn't understand why it's become an issue now.

"We're here to serve, and that's the way a chamber should be, to take in anybody. We're open for business, to do business as usual and to satisfy that customer, whomever they shall be," Hartwick said.

The Little Rock Chamber of Commerce also objected to the the bill, simply stating, "This is bad for business and bad for Arkansas."

Contributing: The Associated Press.