Here is a universal truth of all businesses. They want more demand for their goods and services.
Poll after poll of small business owners confirms that the biggest issue for them is consumer demand. Not regulations, not taxes, not even financing.
So it is amazing that the Arizona legislature passed a bill that would allow businesses to turn away gay and lesbian customers if they base their decision on a religious belief. Governor Jan Brewer has not decided if she will sign the bill which tries to statutorily make legal what is clearly unconstitutional.
So what is next? Citing religious beliefs to allow businesses to discriminate based on race? What if a religion didn’t believe that women should drive cars? If such a business owner had a gas station, would they then be allowed to deny a female driver fuel?
Clearly the Arizona legislature needs to be addressing real problems facing businesses instead of codifying discrimination that might please a handful of small business owners but cause less consumer demand for all others when gays and lesbians take their dollars out of the state.