Arizona governor vetoes presidential 'birther bill'
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed the so-called "birther bill" on Monday.
April 18th, 2011
10:37 PM ET

Arizona governor vetoes presidential 'birther bill'

Arizona's governor has vetoed a bill that would require President Barack Obama and other presidential candidates to prove they were born in the United States before their names could be placed on Arizona's ballots.

Gov. Jan Brewer, a Republican, said she could not "support designating one person as gatekeeper to the ballot for a candidate."

Under the measure, if there were any dispute about whether a candidate had proved he or she had been born in the United States, Arizona's secretary of state would have the final say.

The Arizona "birther bill" got final approval by a vote of 40-16 last week in the state House. It now will not become law unless legislators vote to override Brewer's veto.

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Filed under: Arizona • Barack Obama • Politics
soundoff (323 Responses)
  1. jeffrey

    THIS is what the Arizona STATE house has time to worry about?

    BRAVO to the Gov..it is a Fed not a State issue.

    Arizona might try doing something FOR the people who elected them..otherwise move them out of office ASAP!

    April 18, 2011 at 11:43 pm | Report abuse |
  2. THinkThank2011

    Every time this is debated in state assemblies, valuable time is wasted. Time for ideas of substance that can add value to the American family. The wasted time can be quantified in dollars. Now, if we have to think about cutting the federal debt, start by avoiding idiotic debates in state assemblies. Focus on jobs, jobs, jobs and jobs...

    April 18, 2011 at 11:45 pm | Report abuse |
  3. LadeeB

    I need to see John McCain's birth certificate! Who knows if he was born outside the fences of the Panama Canal Zone?

    April 18, 2011 at 11:45 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Don H

    Vern, the President's mother was American, did also know she was white Stanley Ann Dunham (November 29, 1942 – November 7, 1995) she was born in Kansas Vern!!!!!

    April 18, 2011 at 11:45 pm | Report abuse |
  5. karyn2

    Good for Jan Brewer. Finally – in the birther movement, a voice of reason.

    April 18, 2011 at 11:47 pm | Report abuse |
  6. tonyl

    Governor Brewer is now realizing that after their racist state passed the racist Immigration law against the Hispanic population of Arizona they took a big hit economically. If they keep passing racist legislation they will be tagged as a conservative racist hick state. Which they are already considered for passing some of the legislation.

    April 18, 2011 at 11:48 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Travis

    you know its insane when Gov. Brewer says " Now that is going to far!"

    April 18, 2011 at 11:48 pm | Report abuse |
  8. karyn2

    To Mememe: They DO check first. And it was official the first time.

    April 18, 2011 at 11:49 pm | Report abuse |
  9. hustlenflo

    Miracles do happen – even in Arizona.

    April 18, 2011 at 11:51 pm | Report abuse |
  10. Joseph

    She had to veto the law because the AZ business community is fed up. They already have to deal with many business conventions being cancelled, and now this. AZ would be even more the brunt of national jokes as "whack job central."
    She had to show the state still has a functioning government based on, at least, elementary logical principles.

    April 18, 2011 at 11:52 pm | Report abuse |
  11. citizen of the planet

    Everyone remembers that our first president, aka Father of Our Country, (George Washington, for the truly idiotic) was born in England, right? Now please return to your regularly scheduled FOX "news" program. Thanks!

    April 18, 2011 at 11:52 pm | Report abuse |
  12. eddale

    Birthers are low information people.

    April 18, 2011 at 11:53 pm | Report abuse |
  13. L Brennan

    The burden of prove is on the birther idiots to prove otherwise...hysterical buffoons have at it....

    April 18, 2011 at 11:53 pm | Report abuse |
  14. winter059

    Donald Trump constantly harping on this issue is making the Tea Party look like a bunch of fanatic nut jobs. I think they're starting to finally realize that. You know you've gone too far when Jan Brewer feels the need to back off.

    April 18, 2011 at 11:54 pm | Report abuse |
    • checkyoursources

      exactly!

      April 19, 2011 at 1:03 am | Report abuse |
    • Hmm

      If we have to listen to these birthers instead of getting them to STFU with a court injunction....
      then we should see the proof of George W. Bush's Discharge and how that all worked. And all those things with him and Cheney, and that Rice woman.
      And all that stuff from the last two terms when W was Pres.
      Yeah, let's see some of THAT stuff! Let's get all up in each other's background and stuff. Yeah. Let's see the birth certificates of each of these "birthers"! Let's see if they qualify! Check me out! I qualify!

      April 19, 2011 at 1:56 am | Report abuse |
    • sammy sozo

      You know Bush was in the Texas National Guard. Their job is to protect the state from an invasion by Oklahoma.

      April 19, 2011 at 4:02 pm | Report abuse |
  15. theincognito

    @Brian I was being facetious.

    April 18, 2011 at 11:57 pm | Report abuse |
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