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Jan Brewer Vetoes Arizona Campus Gun, Birther Bills

Governor labels 'birther' law a 'bridge too far'

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Apr 19, 2011 12:01 AM CDT | Updated Apr 19, 2011 7:57 AM CDT

(Newser) – Arizona's Republican governor has vetoed the "birther bill" passed by the state legislature. Jan Brewer called the bill, which would have required presidential candidates to prove their citizenship before appearing on Arizona ballots, "a bridge too far," CNN reports. "As a former secretary of state, I do not support designating one person as a gatekeeper to the ballot for a candidate, which could lead to arbitrary or politically motivated decisions," she wrote to the Arizona House speaker. The bill will now not become law unless the legislature votes to override her veto.

Brewer also vetoed legislation that would have allowed people to have guns while walking or driving through university and community college campuses, reports the Arizona Daily Star. The governor said that while she generally supports allowing people to carry their weapons in a wider range of places, the "poorly written" legislation that landed on her desk had too many flaws, including a failure to clearly define public rights of way where guns would be allowed.

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Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer speaks at the National Governors Association Winter Meeting in Washington earlier this year. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

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This measure creates significant new problems while failing to do anything constructive for Arizona. - Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer

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Jan Brewer Vetoes Arizona Campus Gun, Birther Bills

Governor labels 'birther' law a 'bridge too far'

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