A controversial bill that would have allowed business owners with strongly held religious beliefs to deny service to gays and lesbians has been vetoed by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer. Apple and a number of major corporations and groups had banded together in an attempt to convince Brewer to veto the legislation.
In a tweet on Wednesday, Gov. Brewer confirmed that she had officially vetoed bill SB1062, which proposed to grant Arizona business owners the right to turn away gay and lesbian customers on religious grounds.
The measure landed on the Governor’s desk late last week after its approval by the Republican-led Arizona state legislature.
Governor Brewer tweeted the following from her Twitter account after vetoing the bill: “Moments ago, I vetoed #SB1062. pic.twitter.com/gdQn0dG2vB“
Apple had requested on Monday that Governor Brewer veto the bill. The company’s request is thought to have carried considerable clout, as the company had recently invested millions of dollars in a Mesa, AZ sapphire production facility.
Public opinion began to swing against SB1062 earlier this week. Supporters of the veto included Arizona Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake, and major businesses and corporations like Apple, American Airlines and Marriott.