Broad AZ Conscience Law Seeks to Protect Professional Licenses

The Arizona legislature sent a bill to Governor Jan Brewer that would prohibit the government from suspending a professional license for acts of religious exercise. SB 1288 takes what we seen in controversies like those surrounding pharmacy regulations to a new level, broadly exempting people of faith from state regulatory requirements that conflict with their religious beliefs. The Arizona Republic reports:

Supporters say it would further assure constitutional religious-freedom protections.

Opponents say there has never been a case in Arizona where an individual's license was revoked because of his or her religious practices, and they warned the bill would protect people who use "religious practice" as a defense for questionable behavior.

It also may protect people who violate the constitutional rights of others, opening the state up to more lawsuits, they say.

The Governor has until this weekend to sign the bill, which you can read here.