Arizona Gov. vetoes bills that would allow guns on campuses, require proof from presidential candidates

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Arizona Gov. vetoes bills that would allow guns on campuses, require proof from presidential candidates

2011-04-19 08:14:04 GMT+7 (ICT)

PHOENIX (BNO NEWS) -- Arizona Governor Jan Brewer on late Monday evening vetoed a bill that would allow guns at educational institutions and another bill that would require proof of qualifications from presidential candidates.

The two bills, Senate Bill 1467 regarding guns and House Bill 2177 regarding presidential qualifications, have been a controversial subject in recent months. Both bills were recently approved by Arizona's Legislature, but Brewer decided to use her power to veto both.

"I vetoed Senate Bill 1467 because it is so poorly written," Brewer said. "Bills impacting our Second Amendment rights have to be crystal clear so that gun owners don't become lawbreakers by accident."

The Governor said the bill was poorly written because it fails to define the key phrase 'public right-of-way' where weapons can be carried and because it uses the term educational institution, which would include K-12 schools where federal and state laws generally prohibit weapons.

"Legislators inexplicably decided not to define 'public right-of-way' in the bill. There are four differing definitions currently found in Arizona statutes but none apply to this bill," Brewer said. "What is really puzzling is that this error was pointed-out during the legislative process. One proponent of the bill stated that a court will have to be the final arbiter in deciding what constitutes a 'public right-of-way.' We don't need the courts to write our gun laws. That is the job of the Legislature."

Brewer further noted that she does support the "thoughtful expansion" of where firearms should be allowed, but that the actual legislation that does so must be both "unambiguous and clear to protect the Second Amendment rights of lawful gun owners." She said Senate Bill 1467 is neither.

In addition, Brewer also refused to sign into law House Bill 2177 which would require presidential candidates to submit proof for qualification, most notably their citizenship.

"House Bill 2177 empowers the Secretary of State or other election officers in Arizona to judge the qualifications of every federal, state and local candidate at the time of filing," the Governor said. "As a former Secretary of State, I do not support designating one person as the gatekeeper to the ballot for a candidate, which could lead to arbitrary or politically-motivated decisions."

Brewer said the bill would create 'significant' new problems while failing to do anything constructive for Arizona. "I never imagined being presented with a bill that could require candidates for President of the greatest and most powerful nation on earth to submit their 'early baptismal or circumcision certificates' among other records to the Arizona Secretary of State. This is a bridge too far," she added.

Current U.S. President Barack Obama is sometimes the subject of ongoing conspiracy theories that allege that he is not a natural-born citizen of the United States, and therefore is not eligible to be President under Article Two of the United States Constitution. Some claim Obama was born in Kenya, not in Hawaii as is on his certification of live birth.

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