Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed two gun-related bills supported by the NRA and other Second Amendment advocacy groups this week.
In this Feb. 26, 2014 file photo, Arizona Republican Gov. Jan Brewer speaks at a news conference at the Arizona Capitol in Phoenix. Brewer said Wednesday, March 12, 2014 that she won't seek a third term in office. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear an appeal of a blocked provision of Arizona's 2010 immigration enforcement law, dealing another blow to Gov. Jan Brewer in her effort to defend the law. The court declined to review the ruling that barred police from arresting people who harbor those living in the United States illegally. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
The state legislature passed one bill that would have allowed people to bring guns into all public buildings and events that do not have metal detectors.
Gun control advocates objected saying more public buildings, such as libraries, would hire armed guards to avoid firearms.
The second bill was a prohibition against cities and counties from enacting municipal-level gun control laws if the laws were stricter than the state's existing gun laws.
Detractors said that law exposed local governments to liability from citizen lawsuits.
Brewer has twice before vetoed similar bills, in 2012 and 2011.
"The decision to permit or prohibit guns in these extremely sensitive locations — whether a City Council chamber or branch office staffed with state workers — should be cooperatively reached and supported by a broad coalition of stakeholders, including citizens, law enforcement officials and local government leaders," Brewer wrote in her 2012 veto, according to the Arizona Republic.
Brewer did not post a statement on her website regarding the veto and news reports did not include a comment from the governor.
Mark Kelly, co-founder of Americans for Responsible Solutions and husband of former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords -- a victim of a 2011 shooting -- praised Brewer's vetoes.
"As Arizona residents and gun owners, Gabby and I applaud Gov. Brewer for vetoing these two misguided bills that would have made our communities less safe," Kelly said in a statement. "By taking away the power of our local leaders to decide when to allow guns in public buildings and penalizing leaders who act in their community's best interest, these two bills were an affront to our local elected and law enforcement officials."
(H/T: Tucson News)
