Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a controversial bill on Wednesday that would have allowed business owners to turn away gay or lesbian customers if they cited their religious beliefs.
The bill, known as SB 1062, passed in both Arizona's Senate and House of Representatives before Brewer vetoed it Wednesday. The Republican Party in Arizona entirely supported the bill, with a handful of GOP members voting with Democrats to stop it.
[seealso slug="facebook-gender-options"]
"To the supporters of the legislation, I want you to know that I understand that long-held norms about marriage and family are being challenged as never before. Our society is undergoing many dramatic changes," Brewer said, according to CNN. "However, I sincerely believe that Senate Bill 1062 has the potential to create more problems than it purports to solve. It could divide Arizona in ways we cannot even imagine, and no one would ever want."
"Religious liberty is a core American and Arizona value, so is non-discrimination," she continued.
Brewer tweeted a photo of herself vetoing the bill on Wednesday.
Moments ago, I vetoed #SB1062. pic.twitter.com/gdQn0dG2vB— Jan Brewer (@GovBrewer) February 27, 2014
When the Arizona legislature passed the bill last week, it sparked protests both at the state capitol and online. A handful of Fortune 500 companies also encouraged Brewer to veto the bill, including AT&T, Intel and Delta Airlines.