Arizona state Sen. Steve Pierce, a Republican, voted for the okay-to-discriminate bill awaiting action by Gov. Jan Brewer. But—
talk about buyer's remorse—he now hopes Brewer will veto the bill:
“I don’t like the negative picture of Arizona, and I’m on board asking the governor to veto the bill,” Pierce told the Prescott Daily Courier. “To say (the bill is) anti-gay is following the feeding frenzy... I have friends that are gay, and I wouldn’t do anything to hurt them. This is blown way out of proportion and it’s too bad.” Pierce also spoke to Capitol Media Services, telling them, “I screwed up. I’m trying to make it right... I would be on board to get it repealed." [...]
In denouncing the bill, Pierce joined several fellow Republicans: Secretary of State Ken Bennett, who also represents Pierce's Prescott area, along with Arizona gubernatorial candidates State Treasurer Doug Ducey, Mesa Mayor Scott Smith, and attorney Christine Jones. Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake tweeted on Saturday, “I hope Governor Brewer vetoes SB 1062.”
Dear Sen. Pierce: If you don't like the negative picture painted of Arizona, don't choose to be a brushstroke in one of the ugliest parts of the picture. And while it's very noble of you to have second thoughts, the idea that it's simply a "feeding frenzy" that's been "blown way out of proportion" for people to point out that this bill would make discrimination legal suggests that your second thoughts stem less from a sincere understanding of what's wrong with the bill and more from covering your own ass.
Pierce does have the option of getting together with as few as two other Republican state senators to reconsider the bill; short of that, if Republicans joining the pressure on Brewer to reject the bill will help make that happen, that's great. But neither option makes Steve Pierce any kind of hero.
10:04 AM PT: Pierce and two other Republican state senators have sent Brewer a letter asking her to veto the bill.