A false narrative claims that traditionalist politicians concerned about defending moral standards are “one-issue” people who don’t care about anything else.
Arizona conservative state Rep. Steve Montenegro shows why that accusation is inaccurate. The staunch pro-life Republican, who plans to introduce a bill protecting clergy and church conscience on traditional marriage, also talks passionately about economic improvement.
ADI spoke with Montenegro on Jan. 10 at Sylvia’s La Canasta restaurant on North Seventh Avenue in Phoenix.
After saying tax reform is an important issue when the second regular session of Arizona’s 51st Legislature soon convenes in January, Montenegro elaborated:
“We want to make sure we’re doing everything to better Arizona’s economic climate for small businesses, for entrepreneurs, for mom-and-pop shops. There’s no reason Arizona shouldn’t be the capital of the world in small businesses,” helping make “the economic environment more viable.”
Asked if he expects big surprises this year, like Republican Gov. Jan Brewer’s ramming through Medicaid expansion in the dead of night last June, Montenegro said he has learned “you can’t make predictions… There are always huge issues that come up.”
The Brewer Medicaid push, expanding Barack Obama’s reach, left conservatives bloodied and gasping, but the Arizona Catholic Conference, the bishops’ lobbying arm, was happy and cheering — even though the expansion increased funding to the nation’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood.
Montenegro said he received encouraging responses after announcing that he plans to introduce “Arizona’s First Freedom Act,” to protect clergymen and churches from being compelled to perform “same-sex” marriages (reported Jan. 5 by ADI).
Although “same-sex” marriage currently is illegal in Arizona, Montenegro noted federal courts are attacking traditional-marriage laws elsewhere.
“Reaction from the faith community … so far has been very encouraging and positive” for his proposed bill, he said on Jan. 10. “They feel the concern of what the future may hold” if federal courts continue “to rewrite, reinterpret state constitutions” and ignore the will of the people.
The bill wouldn’t prohibit clergy from performing homosexual ceremonies, but it would make it clear they’re not required to.
A minister himself, Montenegro told ADI, “We represent the faith… We have to make sure we’re not going to be forced to disrespect” traditional church teaching.
Asked about some prognosticators suggesting nothing much will happen at the legislature this year, Montenegro replied, “I would disagree” and added that he hopes for “good stuff. We have members committed to doing everything possible to better Arizona’s future… We need to do everything possible to represent the people who put us here.”
Montenegro repeated a warning he has made previously, that “moderate” Republicans want to remove conservatives from the legislature.
He said voters should vet candidates carefully, to make sure politicians truly stand for conservative principles.
“We need people who love the Constitution, who love what our country, the United States of America, stands for, and who love our children’s future… So we can send the best representatives possible” to the legislature, Montenegro said.
In a separate interview, Jose Borrajero, communications director for the Maricopa County chapter of the Arizona Latino Republican Association, said he has heard comments that Montenegro’s proposed marriage bill is “totally unnecessary” because “same-sex” marriage isn’t legal in Arizona now.
But that’s not the point, Borrajero said. The bill is to prevent compulsion from happening to clergy and churches if the law is changed.
Montenegro “makes a very good point. There are plenty of ministers who are willing to do these ceremonies,” Borrajero said. His bill is simply to protect others from being forced to comply.
The following day, people who were interviewed by ADI at the Jan. 11 Maricopa County Republican Committee’s precinct committeemen’s general meeting in Phoenix agreed with Montenegro’s stand.
Precinct committeemen Arno Naeckel, an attorney, said, “No clergyman can be forced to do anything contrary to the doctrine of a religion under the First Amendment… So Montenegro is exactly on target.”
Precinct Committeeman Robert Flanagan agreed this is a First Amendment issue: “You can’t make preachers marry somebody, or tell ‘em they have to provide abortion stuff.”
Speakers to nearly 1,000 precinct committeemen in the hall at Church for the Nations on North Central Avenue said Republicans need to be true to the U.S. Constitution and Reaganite principles and show they’re leaders, rather than followers trying to be like Democrats.
Ray Sweeney said the nation mustn’t “be part of a managed decline” but “a spectacular resurrection.”
John Owens, who described himself as a Tea Party conservative and ordained minister, told the crowd: “I want to see our country moving in the right direction. I want to see our country honoring God, as it once did… I’ve got three children and two grandchildren, with one on the way. I want to see our country survive.”
Tonya Thompson, who said she’s the mother of five, cited freedom of religion and the right to life as coming from God, not the government. Freedom “was given to us by God. This is not man-made,” she said.
Republican conservative political strategist Constantin Querard told ADI that Montenegro’s conscience bill on marriage “is a simple bill to do a simple thing, and that is to preserve the First Amendment rights of the clergy and churches.”
If a member of the clergy or a church faced punishment for declining to perform a “same-sex” marriage, they’d essentially either be forced to compromise on their religious beliefs or close their doors, he said.
“That’s why I think the bill should have a relatively easy time of it” in the legislature,” Querard said. “…I can’t think of too many everyday [people] who would want to force a member of the clergy to participate in a ceremony that clearly contradicts their beliefs.”
The argument that Montenegro’s bill isn’t needed at this time ignores how swiftly some judges “are rewriting law with very little notice” about marriage, Querard said. “We could need it as soon” as a judge acts, “and that could come anytime.”
Preston Wiley, who attends Scottsdale’s Chaparral High School, is vice-chairman of Arizona’s Teen-Age Republicans.
“I am in full agreement of Steve Montenegro’s bill because I joined the Republican movement mainly on a moral basis,” Wiley said. “And, as a firm Christian, I do not believe in the practice of gay marriage, and I believe any move to force or introduce gay marriage to states is a move in the wrong direction.”
Carlos Alfaro, a member of the College Republicans, who attends Arizona State University in Tempe, told ADI that he thinks “gay marriage” is the right direction for the Republican Party to go in order to be more attractive. But, he said, he agrees with Montenegro’s bill because it would allow a clergy member to say no to participating.
“I think that’s the worry with a lot of conservatives,” that the government “will infringe on other people’s freedoms” on this marriage issue, Alfaro said.