As Republican legislatures across the country try to push back on encroaching and questionable practices regarding children coming out of the LGBTQ activist community, they are finding themselves up against governors of their own party who seem determined choose other priorities above the will of the people. Noem in South Dakota, Hutchinson in Arkansas, and now Ducey in Arizona.

The Arizona Republican-led legislature overwhelmingly passed a bill that would require an opt-in for parents before their students could participate in pro-LGBTQ oriented sex ed studies and HIV and AIDS education. It would also require the school to alert parents of instruction days that may include the curriculum. This would be a compromise for what many parents see as a disturbingly graphic and often LGBTQ-centered curriculum. The current system requires parents to opt-out, but often activist teachers and administrators get around the “op-out” policy by simply not notifying parents of the instruction schedule.

The Hill reports that Governor Doug Ducey (R) has vetoed the bill because it was too “vague”.

In a veto letter dated Tuesday, Ducey said the bill was “overly broad and vague and could lead to serious consequences, including the very real possibility that it could be misrepresented by schools and result in standing in the way of important child abuse prevention education in the early grades for at risk and vulnerable children.”

Ducey instead signed an executive order he said imposes stricter requirements for sex education requirements.

The order requires meetings held for reviewing sex education courses to be publicly announced at least two weeks in advance and open to the public, and it makes any proposed sex education courses accessible for public review at least 60 days before a given district approves it.

After the course is approved, a school district then has to make the curriculum available online for parents to review. The order also makes existing sex education courses available and accessible for review.

State Sen. Nancy Barto (R) sponsored the bill and said Ducey’s order “undermined” parental discretion and directly thwarted the will of the people as expressed by the Arizona legislature.

“The veto undermines every single elected Republican legislator who voted to defend parents and address the frustrations they face with the current status quo that provides opt-out for some sexual materials and opt-in for others,” Barto said. “While I am extremely disappointed, my commitment to parents’ fundamental rights remains unchanged. I will continue to work with my colleagues to protect Arizona parents.”

So far there is no indication the AZ legislature intends to attempt an override of the veto.

Did Ducey do the right thing to protect future trouble with a “vague” law or is he simply running cover to maintain the approval of the myriad of corporations currently moving to Arizona from states like California?

Let us know in the comments.