ATLANTA (AP) - When Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal recently vetoed bills allowing guns on college campuses and shielding religious people who deny people services based on their faith, he was directly bucking his fellow Republican lawmakers, who overwhelmingly supported the proposals, and possibly losing points with his conservative political base.
Why would he do such a thing?
The answer may lie at least partly in term limits and corporate persuasion, observers say.
Deal never needs to win over the Republican base again. Georgia's Constitution limits governors to two consecutive terms, and Deal, 73, plans to retire at the end of his second and final term.
Charles Bullock, a political science professor at the University of Georgia, said the term limits, coupled with the outpour of opposition on both issues, likely factored into the governor's decision to veto the bills.
While conservative lawmakers spoke loudly, the sound of Georgia's economic powerhouses may have been louder in Deal's ear.
The state's business community and economic giants including Apple, the Walt Disney Co. and the NFL campaigned against the religious bill -- which many viewed as a slam at gay marriage -- and warned it would jeopardize Georgia's economy.
In his veto announcement, which came five days after a North Carolina law curtailing LGBT rights provoked a political firestorm there, Deal focused on legal precedent and creating a "welcoming state." His entire gubernatorial career has been staked on Georgia's business reputation.
Meanwhile, Bullock noted that the so-called "campus carry" bill has been kicked around the legislature for years, failing to make it as far as the governor's desk until now. He said this suggests it could be lobbying interests, and not the strong beliefs of the legislators that helped the bill pass this time around.
More at:
http://www.wsfa.com/story/31884956/georgia-governor-defies-party-politics-with-pair-of-vetoes
