A bill that would allow for LGBT discrimination on the basis of “religious” freedom has cleared the Arizona House and is now headed to Republican Gov. Jan Brewer’s desk.
The bill passed 33 to 27 in the House Thursday, according to KSAZ. It had passed the state Senate Wednesday. Brewer now has five days to sign the bill, veto it or, if she does nothing, it will become law, the Arizona Republic reported. She has not yet made any public comments about the bill.
The bill is one version of legislation now pending in several states that LGBT rights advocates say could legalize anti-gay discrimination, as TPM has reported. It would require that the government have a compelling reason to interfere with a person’s exercise of their religion, which would effectively allow discrimination against LGBT people, according to advocates.
