Governor's Office, Lobbyist Group Met To Shape SB1062

By Dennis Lambert
Published: Monday, March 10, 2014 - 10:53am
Updated: Monday, March 10, 2014 - 2:33pm
(Courtesy of Center for Arizona Policy)
Cathi Herrod

When Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed SB1062 last month, she said she found no need for a law to allow services to be denied on claims of sincerely held religious beliefs.

But records obtained by Capitol Media Services show aides to the governor met with the Center for Arizona Policy about it even before the start of the legislative session. They show the governor’s legal counsel asked for and got changes in the bill.

The governor’s press aide, Andrew Wilder, says nothing should be read into any of that.

“Such meetings, however, should not be construed in any way, and never are, that there's any agreed-upon support for a bill or opposition to a bill,” Wilder said. “That decision is ultimately made by the governor when it arrives at her desk, and not before then.”

Cathi Herrod of the CAP agreed no promises were made, but she tells Capitol Media the purpose of the meetings was to vet the bill with the governor’s office.

Herrod says her group addressed every concern that was raised, only to have the measure vetoed because of what she calls highly vocal opposition from the LGBT community, which she says had nothing to do with what was actually in the bill.