After shutting down 8 floor amendments from the Democrats, the Republicans passed SB 1062 through the Senate today.
The bill would provide protection for business owners if they refuse a customer because serving him or her would violate their religion.
Republicans insist that the bill is simply intended to protect the first amendment rights of Arizona citizens, but Democrats claim that the bill will just enable businesses to discriminate against the LGBT community.
“The one thing that no one can stand up and dispute is that fact that the heart of this bill would invite discrimination against gays and lesbians, bottom line.” Sen. Steve Gallardo (D-Phoenix) said.
The Democrats called for a head count when Gallardo’s amendment that would prevent discrimination against people for their gender, gender identity or sexual orientation was struck down verbally and lost 16-12.
Sen. Ed Ableser (D-Tempe) attempted a no holds barred attack to change the language of the bill—more as a way to point out the flaws in the language than to actually get anything passed.
The first of the 6 amendments he proposed attempted to change the definition of person to “A bipedal primate to which modern humans belong characterized by the brain capacity averaging 85 cubic inches and the dependency on language and the creations and use of complex tools” because he opposed Sen. Steve Yarbrough’s (R-Chandler) loose definition of “person” in the bill.
“I think we can all agree to that, that’s it not bricks and mortar that makes a person, it’s actually brain activity and opposable thumbs,” Ableser said.
That was the beginning of a long string of democratic amendments that were shut down by the republican majority, ending with one that tried to exclude Satanism from the freedom of religion.
“One of them says if a guest in your lair annoys you, treat him cruelly and without mercy.” Ableser said, referencing the satanic principles. “Now many of you might be feeling that towards me today, but I would assert that that is not a true free exercise of religion.”
The only amendment that passed was a sponsored by the Republican Yarbrough. The Amendment tightened up the language of the bill so that a person had to be truly committed to their religion.
“This bill is not about allowing discrimination. It’s about preventing discrimination against people who are living out their faith as clearly contemplated by the first amendment.” Yarbrough said.
The democrats weren’t listening.
“I don’t argue that folks have the right to religious freedom,” Gallardo said. “I think we all have the right to our religious beliefs. But I do not agree that we have the right to discriminate because of our religious beliefs.”
Yarbrough thought that the discrimination claims that the Democrats kept bringing up were an exaggeration of what the bill would do.
“It would really be helpful if folks might understand and appreciate that reality rather than creating or talking, frankly, about completely unrealistic and unsupportable hypotheticals which clearly are not an issue.” Yarbrough said.
By the end, the Democrats focused on how they felt that the bill would negatively affect the economy.
“I’ve been around a long time,” said Sen. Lynne Pancrazi (D-Yuma). “I remember when Mecham refused to recognize Martin Luther King Day. Then I remember 1070, both of which caused economic damage to the state of Arizona in their time. Now we have this.”
Senator Steve Farley (D-Tucson) ended his closing arguments with a passionate speech about how important diversity is for the country and for the economy.
“I believe our economy is strengthened by different people, and different backgrounds, and different beliefs, and different motivations, coming in and working together in our economy to make this state and this country stronger,” Farley said. “Discrimination hurts that. It hurts that in so many different ways.”
However, it was the Republicans who had the last say when they voted the bill down 17-13.
“I would just suggest that if there is going to be a backlash because of SB 1062, it won’t be because someone has rationally read the contents of this bill and recognizes that it is indeed tailored after supreme court cases dealing with first amendment religious rights. It will be because of the temperament and inaccurate rhetoric,” said Senate President Andy Biggs when he explained his vote, effectively sending the bill to the House of Representatives.
This article appears in Feb 13-19, 2014.
….so the party of small government strikes again! This is so wrong on so many levels, I do even know where to begin! I would like to see a continual (with weekly updates) of businesses who believe this is OK–so I never have to step foot into their establishment or make use of their services again! (I am not an LGBT person, just someone who does not believe in discrimination in any form).
Imma gonna make sure I wear my Luther’s rose when I go shopping to see if the Conservative Christians will allow me to be a customer, Liberal Reformer that I am.
http://www.lutheran-resources.org/Luther_r…
Even Missouri didn’t do it. AZ you are so effed.
Any businessperson that discriminates against gays and lesbians is a moron.
Because we have much higher income levels and really enjoy shopping.
How does this bill help the economy, provide jobs, educate one child, protect air, water or enhance the state? A limited number of people may feel this bill is important for their personal belief, but does it really belong in state law? Isn’t the Constitutional guarantee enough?
My strong belief is that torture is wrong, so this bill should make it legal for me to discriminate against anyone wearing jewelry depicting torture devises.
If this stupid bill passes, this state will experience backlash and economic woes.
Arizona can nary afford another embarrassing black eye like she suffered after the passage of SB 1070. What’s worse is our idiot mean governor is stupid enough to sign it into law. God save us from the social conservative.
Stupid is as stupid does. 1062 is a reflection of stupid, a reflection of our Republican congregation.
“I would like to see a continual (with weekly updates) of businesses who believe this is OK–so I never have to step foot into their establishment or make use of their services again!”
Sooooo… Free association and the right to refuse to do business with people who hold beliefs you disagree with is A-OK for you, just not business owners. Got it.
Please post the names of any company/business who refuses service based on this bill.
I wonder what these Senate Republicans would say if a Muslim-owned business used this to refuse service to gays, Jews, or Christians. (Not that I’m saying that most progressives would say much either, unless it were to embarrass the Republicans.)
It has become my mantra – “In Arizona the lunatics are running the asylum”
Bigotry wrapped in the bible….is still bigotry.
Good job Arizona! The bigotry, intolerance, and vitriol against the Creator God and those who know Him needed this!! <3 my state reps who stand up for Him!
If your Creator God is so all-powerful, why can’t he stand up for his own rules? And what kind of sick deity would create people only for his followers to condemn? Go peddle your demented, Stone-Age, Middle Eastern tribal nonsense elsewhere…
Another step in our march toward a theocracy. These same people will eventually “defend the rights” of the righteous to behead women for being immodest. Or for a man to disfigure his daughter for looking at a boy. All because their homicidal invisible friend told them to.
It’s how most civilizations end, really. With an ever shrinking circle of the powerful, and the rest trying to curry enough favor to survive. Until, of course, a tipping point is reached…
Maybe we should name the next private prison, the “Bastille”. Then again, some schmuck would probably suggest outsourcing the manufacture of guillotines to China.
Ever since teavangelists figured out it isn’t all about them and they aren’t the tail that wags the dog when it comes to other peoples civil rights they have become increasingly desperate. This measure is proof of that.
My husband knew of groups that canceled conventions and meetings scheduled for Phoenix when SB1070 became law. Our state’s economy is now starting to recover and we will face another economic backlash because of the stupidity of our states elected officials.
Not about discrimination about religous freedom? You cant get more Orwellian than that. War is peace, up now down, and oppression now freedom.
“I’m a godless heretic/not a god-fearing lunatic.
That’s why it’s become my obsession/to treat god like an infection.” – Slayer
This is what I did about it:
AZGOV azgov@az.gov
8:37 AM (1 hour ago)
to me
The Arizona Governor’s Office is in receipt of your email communication. Thank you for taking time to contact the Governor’s Office. Governor Brewer welcomes input on public and social issues that affect the people of Arizona. Your comments are appreciated and will be kept on file as a matter of public record.
We receive a high volume of email messages through this email address. If you require assistance, please submit a Request for Assistance through our online contact form at: http://www.azgovernor.gov/Contact.asp. This allows us to review and prioritize the many Requests for Assistance received through our online contact form. Thank you for your cooperation.
Regards,
JANICE K. BREWER
ARIZONA GOVERNOR
Time to boycott Arizona! Scumbag republicans and Christians with there hate agenda pushing their unconstutional Jim Crowe style laws
“The bigotry, intolerance, and vitriol against the Creator God and those who know Him needed this!!”
May I remind you of what the bible says about judging others:
“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?” – Romans 2:1-3
You are a “mere human being”, are you not?