LOS ANGELES: The state of Arizona's conservative governor Jan Brewer on Monday vetoed controversial bills requiring presidential candidates to prove their US birth and allowing guns on college campuses.
The legislation requiring that presidential candidates present certain information to the Arizona secretary of state was backed by those on the far right who doubt US President Barack Obama was born in the United States.
But Brewer said the bill put too much power in the hands of one individual.
She slapped down a separate bill allowing firearms on "public rights of way" through university campuses despite her longtime support for gun rights, which has earned her the strong backing of the National Rifle Association.
Brewer called the legislation "poorly written," saying it did not adequately define the meaning of "public rights of way."
The so-called "birther" bill would have made Arizona the first state to force presidential hopefuls to prove their citizenship.
During the 2008 campaign Obama's opponents on the far right began casting doubt on his origins, saying there was no hard proof he was born in Hawaii.
Hawaii has released a certified copy of Obama's birth certificate. The 1961 archives of two local newspapers also show birth announcements.
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