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Gov. Jan Brewer vetoes Arizona’s religious freedom bill: ‘Creates more problems than it purports to solve’ [VIDEO]

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Brendan Bordelon Contributor
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Arizona Republican Governor Jan Brewer announced she would veto a bill allowing those with religious objections to refuse service to gay people, saying the proposed law “creates more problems than it purports to solve.”

Brewer held a late afternoon news conference on Wednesday to reveal her decision, which was broadcast on Fox News. (RELATED: When ‘leave us alone’ became ‘bake us a cake!’)

The governor expressed her disappointment that despite the problems facing her state, “this was the first policy bill that crossed my desk.” She claimed the bill “does not address a specific of present concern related to religious liberty in Arizona. I’ve not heard one example in Arizona where business owners’ religious liberty has been violated.”

“The bill is broadly-worded and could result in unintended and negative consequences,” she continued. “After weighing all of the arguments, I have vetoed Senate Bill 1062 moments ago.”

She held out an olive branch to those disappointed by her ruling. “I understand that long-held norms about marriage and family are being challenged as never before,” she noted. “Our society is undergoing many dramatic changes. However, I sincerely believe that Senate Bill 1062 has the potential to create more problems than it purports to solve.”

“Religious liberty is a core American and Arizona value,” she concluded. “So is non-discrimination.”

The governor had been under tremendous pressure — including by many in the business community and within her own party — to veto the law.

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