Arizona Drafts New Anti-Gay Bill

While everyone was busy either hailing or deriding Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer for vetoing one anti-gay bill, another one was quietly making its way toward the state’s house. House Bill 2481, which allows judges and clergy to refuse to perform same-sex marriages, was introduced at the end of last month and has already received approval from rules and government committees. While same-sex marriage is not legal in Arizona, gay-rights advocates are concerned that the legislation’s broad definition of a “minister,” which includes judges, could create judicial ethics questions.