Citing the potential for abuse by those who may claim religious protections, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has vetoed a bill that would have outlawed the suspension of professional licenses for religious exercise.

Brewer said she recognizes that SB 1288 has provisions which do not immunize criminal activities or sexual misconduct based on someone's beliefs.

But she said there are still too many loopholes.

"This bill could protect conduct that harms the public but cannot be readily addressed if the person claims that the conduct is based on religious beliefs,'' she wrote in her veto message.

I'm not sure if there were too many loopholes in this bill, or too few. Religious accommodation is essential in the careful balance of freedom between religious exercise on the one hand and maintaining public health and safety on the other. Religious freedom protections like RFRA that set a high legal standard for the government to meet make good sense. So too does strict enforcement of non-discrimination regulations. But a blanket denial on the state's ability to enforce professional licensure standards?  Not as much.

The Governor plans to work with the legislature to develop an alternative approach.