Jan Brewer’s Staff Worked On Anti-Gay Bill She Later Vetoed

Governor Jan Brewer’s staff helped shape the legislation that she then vetoed, SB 1062.

Brewer’s top aides — including her attorney, policy adviser and legislative liaison — began in January to negotiate bill language with the Center for Arizona Policy, the powerful non- profit that advocates for conservative causes and helped write the bill, documents show.

In response to a request by The Arizona Republic, Brewer’s staff produced dozens of pages of e-mails, memos and other records that detail efforts by her office to improve the legislation by altering language that aides suggested could prevent it from moving forward, as well as raising questions about how the bill would mesh with free-exercise-of-religion laws. Nothing in the e-mails and memos indicates Brewer had any direct involvement in the negotiations over the bill.

The records show a number of changes were made to the bill before it won final legislative approval 21/2 weeks ago.

By: Cheston Catalano

Cheston Catalano is a Kentucky-based journalist whose work has been featured in the Chattanooga Times Free Press and the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle. He is a long-time contributor to Liberaland.