Arizona governor vetoes 'birther bill'

Arizona governor vetoes 'birther' billSTORY HIGHLIGHTSGov. Jan Brewer says the bill is "a bridge too far"It would have required presidential hopefuls to prove they were born in the U.S.President Barack Obama has fought allegations that he wasn't born in America (CNN) -- Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a bill late Monday that would have required President Barack Obama and other presidential candidates to prove they were American citizens, born in the United States, before their names could have been placed on the state ballot.

The so-called "birther bill" got final approval in the state House last week. Now that Brewer, a Republican, has vetoed it, the bill will not become law unless legislators vote to override her veto.

"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," the governor wrote in a letter addressed to the Arizona House speaker.

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.

"This measure creates significant new problems while failing to do anything constructive for Arizona," she added.

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Arizona Gov. Brewer Vetoes Bill to Allow Guns on Public College Campuses

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Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, seen in this 2010 file photo, has vetoed a bill that would have allowed guns on public college campuses.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed a bill Monday that would have allowed guns on parts of public college campuses, a bill that she said was "poorly written" and likely faced a legal challenge.

Gun laws must be "crystal clear so that gun owners don't become lawbreakers by accident," Brewer said, referring to what she said was the bill's inadequate definition of the "public right of way" where guns could be carried on public university and community college campuses.

She also warned that the bill could have mistakenly included K-12 schools, "where federal and state laws generally prohibit weapons."

"While I support thoughtful expansion of where firearms should be allowed, the actual legislation that does so must be unambiguous and clear to protect the Second Amendment rights of gun owners. Senate Bill 1467 is neither," she said.

Gun-rights advocates had backed the bill, saying it would help people defend themselves and prevent them from getting in trouble for merely driving through a campus with a gun in a vehicle.

University presidents opposed the bill. They said allowing guns on campuses would endanger employees, students and visitors, and it would be difficult for officers responding to a shooting to quickly identify a wrongdoer.

The bill originally would have applied to campus buildings, including classrooms, by allowing people with concealed weapons permits to carry guns into the facilities.

But it was scaled back during Senate consideration to apply only to rights of way, such as sidewalks. References to concealed weapons also were removed.

Supporters said they needed to change the bill to only apply to rights of way because the original, broader measure lacked enough support in the House.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence opposed the latest version and sought a veto, even though it said the bill was gutted by the Senate.

Texas legislation similar to the original Arizona bill is stalled in that state, with opposition preventing it from coming to a Senate vote.

Brewer must act by midnight Thursday on another Arizona guns-rights measure that would allow weapons in some government buildings that don't have airport-style security with armed guards and metal detectors.

That bill would not override a separate state law that bars guns in K-12 schools, and it would not disturb a law that gives higher education officials the authority to ban guns.

Also, the legislation would not clear the way for guns to be carried in public-owned convention centers, sports arenas, courthouses, prosecutors' offices and police facilities.

Since becoming governor in January 2009, Brewer has signed several major guns-rights bills. Those included one to allow carrying a concealed weapon without having a state-issued permit, and another to allow carrying a concealed weapon into a bar or restaurant that serves alcohol.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Utah Governor Vetoes Return to 5-Day Workweek

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FILE: Utah Governor Gary Herbert

Congress may want to relocate to Utah. 

Though the U.S. Legislature never really adopted a five-day workweek despite pledges from both parties, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has made sure it doesn't become a reality for state workers. 

Citing budgetary issues, Herbert on Wednesday vetoed a bill that would have upended the status quo in state government by keeping the lights on for five days instead of four each week.

Herbert told Fox 13 in Salt Lake City that a five-day workweek -- proposed in legislation aimed at providing more state services to consumers -- would have given Utahans "a little more flexibility." But it came without funding, making the bill too costly.

His administration estimated that returning to a five-day workweek would cost nearly $800,000.

But Herbert sought a compromise by issuing an executive order requiring all state agencies to ensure by October that all critical services will be available on Fridays either in person, online or via telephone.

Republican Rep. Mike Noel, the sponsor of the vetoed bill, took a wait-and-see approach.

"I'm going to take him at his word and see what happens this year," he told the Salt Lake Tribune. "Business functions five days a week, and when we take 20 percent of the workweek out ... the people aren't served appropriately."

Noel told the newspaper that judges in rural Utah were upset that the state Division of Child and Family Services couldn't be reached. He also expressed concern about residents not being able to get food stamps on Fridays.

Under Noel's bill, each agency would have been required to have at least once office open Friday but all workers didn't have to return to a five-day week.

In a statement, Herbert said the bill represented an "unwarranted intrusion" on his power as governor and was therefore unconstitutional.

He added that Utah residents have grown accustomed to the state's 10-hour workdays, which would have to be abandoned because of a lack of funding.

"Surveys have shown the public, as well as state employees, overwhelmingly support extended hours," he said. "It would be too disruptive, and simply bad policy, to change them now."

Noel told the Salt Lake Tribune that lawmakers didn't buy the $800,000 estimate since they didn't see much savings when the four-day workweek took effect under then-Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. in August 2008.

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