The Arizona Cardinals and the Super Bowl XLIX host committee have voiced their opposition to a bill awaiting approval from governor Jan Brewer that would give religious business owners more freedom to refuse service to customers or ignore government mandates that conflict with their faith.
According to Mike Sunnucks of the Phoenix Business Journal, the Cardinals and the Super Bowl host committee released statements Monday opposing Senate Bill 1062. They join a group of businesses and gay and civil rights groups in opposing the bill.
“What so many love about football is its ability to bring people together,” the Cardinals said in a statement. “We do not support anything that has the potential to divide, exclude and discriminate. As a prominent and highly-visible member of this community, we strive to bring positive attention to the state. We are concerned with anything that creates a negative perception of Arizona and those of us who are fortunate to call it home.”
The bill would give businesses the ability to cite their beliefs in their decisions on hiring workers or in opposition of providing health coverage with aspects such as birth control.
Other groups also oppose the bill as they believe it will lead to discrimination of many different people including the LGBT community and religious minorities.
The governor has until Friday to either sign the bill or veto it.
The statements released by the Cardinals and host committee both speak against the discriminatory aspects of the bill. The timing is somewhat humorous considering lobbyist Jack Burkman’s attempt to legislate a ban against gay players in the NFL also coming out on Monday.
Bottom line… can’t we all just get along?