Following five straight days where the network evening newscasts slammed Indiana for passing its Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), Arkansas joined the barrage of criticism on Wednesday after Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson requested the legislature make changes to its own version that had passed on Tuesday.
In a yet another example of bias against those in support of such bills, the CBS Evening News failed to mention how a small Indiana pizza parlor has been forced to at least temporarily shutter after receiving violent threats while NBC Nightly News only said that the shop closed after “so much criticism online.”
While he didn’t complain on Wednesday about the length of Indiana’s RFRA, CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley used one of the show’s opening teases for a second straight night to exclusively advance the cause of opponents: “Another governor gives in to pressure, including from his own family, to change legislation that critics call anti-gay.”
With the on-screen caption again reading “national outcry,” Pelley declined to even mention an argument for the bills prior to a report from correspondent Manuel Bojorquez:
For the second time in two days, a governor has asked for a re-write of a religious freedom bill that critics say discriminates against gays and lesbians. This time, it was Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas. Yesterday, he said he would sign it, but today, he gave in to pressure from opponents, which included the state's largest company, Wal-Mart, and his own son.
Reporting from Little Rock, Arkansas, Bojorquez ruled that: “Governor Hutchinson, just like Governor Mike Pence of Indiana, continues to face critics who believe their religious freedom laws open the door to discrimination against gays and lesbians.”
Turning to NBC Nightly News, the criticism of conservatives and proponents of religious freedom continued. Interim anchor Lester Holt declared that “the battle between religious beliefs and gay rights exploded today in Arkansas” as Hutchinson made “a surprise decision after the nation’s largest retailer weighed in” against it.
Covering the dual stories from Indianapolis, correspondent Gabe Gutierrez stated that the Republican governor “changed course” on the bill thanks to “mounting pressure” and summarized the controversy as a question of “[h]ow to balance religious freedom and gay rights.”
When it came to reporting the attacks against Memories Pizza in Walkerton, Indiana, Gutierrez had this to say: “This as the owners of a small pizza parlor said they were in favor of a law and would refuse to cater a same-sex wedding. They drew so much criticism online they are now temporarily closed.”
Shifting gears to ABC’s World News Tonight, anchor David Muir said that critics have “another governor now in the crosshairs” in Hutchinson, who called for changes “after his own son urged him not to” sign the legislation.
Commenting on Hutchinson’s change of heart, correspondent Gio Benitez suggested that “perhaps” he was looking to avoid “the kind of heated debate we’ve seen in Indiana after Governor Mike Pence signed a similar religious freedom bill into law, then called for a fix.” Near the end of his report, Benitez differed from his counterparts on CBS and NBC in bringing up the reason that Memories Pizza had closed:
Tonight, officials say they are working to amend the law so it can’t be used to discriminate. Police say one pizza shop in Walkerton, Indiana, inundated by threats after admitting publically it would deny service to some same-sex couples.
While he mentioned the threats, Benitez incorrectly characterized the shop’s position on serving gays and lesbians. According to a local ABC affiliate, O’Connor family explained in a interview that “if a gay couple or a couple belonging to another religion came in to the restaurant to eat, they would never deny them service.”
An article from ABC 57 added that “[t]he O’Connors say they just don't agree with gay marriages and wouldn't cater them if asked to.”
The relevant portions of the transcript from the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley on April 1 can be found below.
CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley
April 1, 2015
6:30 p.m. Eastern [TEASE]
SCOTT PELLEY: Another governor gives in to pressure, including from his own family, to change legislation that critics call anti-gay.
(....)
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: National Outcry]
PELLEY: For the second time in two days, a governor has asked for a re-write of a religious freedom bill that critics say discriminates against gays and lesbians. This time, it was Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas. Yesterday, he said he would sign it, but today, he gave in to pressure from opponents, which included the state's largest company, Wal-Mart, and his own son.
(....)
MANUEL BOJORQUEZ: Governor Hutchinson, just like Governor Mike Pence of Indiana, continues to face critics who believe their religious freedom laws open the door to discrimination against gays and lesbians.
(....)
BOJORQUEZ: In Arkansas, corporate giant Wal-Mart urged the governor to reconsider, and religious leaders joined protesters.
A partial transcript from April 1's NBC Nightly News is provided below.
NBC Nightly News
April 1, 2015
7:08 p.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: Under Pressure]
LESTER HOLT: Following the backlash in Indiana, the battle between religious beliefs and gay rights exploded today in Arkansas, the latest state to pass its own religious freedom law, but the governor there, making a surprise decision after the nation’s largest retailer weighed in.
(....)
GABE GUTIERREZ: Facing mounting pressure, today Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson changed course.
(....)
GUTIERREZ: Governor Mike Pence says it protects religious freedom and is not a license to discriminate against same-sex couples as critics argue. Ahead of this weekend’s Final Four, coaches of joined the NCAA in expressing concerns about the law's impact. This as the owners of a small pizza parlor said they were in favor of a law and would refuse to cater a same-sex wedding. They drew so much criticism online they are now temporarily closed.
(....)
GUTIERREZ: A question now being debated in multiple states. How to balance religious freedom and gay rights.
The relevant portions of the segment from ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir on April 1 are transcribed below.
ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir
April 1, 2015
6:40 p.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: Religious Freedom?]
DAVID MUIR: Now, to that controversial religious freedom law in Indiana. The governor calling for change now to the law after critics claimed the law opened the door to discrimination against gays. Well, tonight, another governor now in the cross hairs, this one from Arkansas, saying he won’t sign his state's bill after his own son urged him not to.
(....)
GIO BENITEZ: Tonight, the governor of Arkansas refusing to sign the state’s newly passed religious freedom bill, demanding action.
(....)
BENITEZ: Hutchinson perhaps preventing the kind of heated debate we’ve seen in Indiana after Governor Mike Pence signed a similar religious freedom bill into law, then called for a fix. Tonight, officials say they are working to amend the law so it can’t be used to discriminate. Police say one pizza shop in Walkerton, Indiana, inundated by threats after admitting publically it would deny service to some same-sex couples.
MEMORIES PIZZA’s CRYSTAL O’CONNOR: If a gay couple was to come in, like say they wanted us to provide them pizzas for a wedding, we would have to say no.
