LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson backed away Wednesday from his promise to sign a controversial religious-objections bill, bowing to pressure from critics that included his own son and some of the state’s biggest employers, who say the legislation is anti-gay.
The Republican governor said he wants the Legislature either to recall the bill from his desk or pass a follow-up measure that would make the proposal more closely mirror a federal religious-freedom law.
Hutchinson said his son Seth was among those who signed a petition asking him to veto the bill.
“This is a bill that in ordinary times would not be controversial,” he said. “But these are not ordinary times.”
Hutchinson initially supported the bill. On Tuesday, his office said he planned to sign it into law. A day later, his position had changed.
“What is important from an Arkansas standpoint is one, we get the right balance. And secondly, we make sure that we communicate we’re not going to be a state that fails to recognize the diversity of our workplace, our economy and our future,” Hutchinson said at a news conference.
Legislators face a short window to act. The governor has five days after the bill is formally delivered to him to take action before it becomes law without his signature.
By Wednesday night, the Senate had approved a new version of the bill by a 26-6 vote. The bill now heads to the House for a vote.
The revised proposal would only address actions by the government, not by businesses or individuals. Supporters of the amended version said the change means businesses denying services to someone on religious grounds could not use the law as a defense.
Hutchinson was the second governor in as many days to give ground to opponents of the legislation.
After Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed a similar measure last week, Pence and fellow Republicans endured days of sharp criticism from across the country. The Indiana governor is seeking follow-up legislation to address concerns that the law could allow businesses to discriminate based on sexual orientation.
Hutchinson also faced pressure from the state’s top employers, including Walmart, which has asked for the bill to be vetoed. Little Rock’s mayor, the city’s Chamber of Commerce and Arkansas-based data-services company Acxiom have all urged the governor to reject the bill.
Other big names in business, including Apple, Gap and Levi Strauss, have also spoken against the religious-objection measures.
Experts say companies are increasingly concerned about any laws that could alienate customers, hurt state economies or limit employers’ ability to attract and retain talent.
Arkansas-based Walmart is particularly influential because it is the world’s largest retailer and the nation’s largest private employer.
Neither the Indiana nor Arkansas law specifically mentions gays and lesbians. Opponents are concerned that the language contained in them could offer a legal defense to businesses and other institutions that refuse to serve gays, such as caterers, florists or photographers with religious objections to same-sex marriage.
For instance, Crystal O’Connor of Walkerton, Ind., whose family owns a pizzeria said Wednesday that, under the state’s new law, she would say no if a same-sex couple asked the restaurant to provide pizzas for their wedding.
Supporters insist the law will only give religious objectors a chance to bring their case before a judge.
Similar proposals have been introduced this year in more than a dozen states, patterned after the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, with some differences. Indiana and 19 other states have similar laws on the books.
Hutchinson did not specifically call for changes that would prohibit the law from being used to deny services, but the governor said he did not think the bill was intended to do so.
“This law that is under consideration does not extend discrimination,” he said.
Opponents of the law were encouraged by Hutchinson’s comments.
“What’s clear is the governor has been listening,” said Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights group.
