governor hutchinson is set to have a news conference within the hour. looking at about 30 minutes from now. the governor previously said he would sign the religious freedom bill into law, but the nation's largest retailer is now weighing in urging the governor to veto that law in his state. in a statement yesterday, the ceo of walmart, based in arkansas, said the law, quote, threatens to undermine the spirit of inclusion present throughout the state of arkansas and does not reflect the values we proudly uphold. these religious freedom laws are now on the books in 21 states but the laws in indiana and arkansas are drawing more heat since anti-discrimination laws in those states do not protect sexual orientation. joining me now, benjamin hardy, associate editor with "arkansas times." interesting yesterday as we waited for governor pence to speak, he was on fox news standing firm regarding that law. by the time the news conference happened he was ready to propose a clarification of his state's law. might we see a change with governor hutchinson in arkansas

the move today is a bit of an about face for hutchinson. he said he would sign the measure if it reached his desk in similar form as to what has been passed in 20 other states but that was before an outcry prompted indiana lawmakers to amend a similar piece of legislation in their state. it was also before walmart joined a chorus of opposition in the state of arkansas. that company roughly employees 48,000 people in governor hutchinson's state and walmart was joined by axiom. walmart applauded the governor's change of heart. we commend governor hutchinson and legislative leaders for reconsidering hb1228. we want to make sure any legislation does not encourage discrimination but the governor did not abandon the bill all together. >> how do we as a state communicate to the world that we are respectful of a diverse workplace and we want to be known as a state that does not discriminate, but understands tolerance? that is the challenge that we face. >> joining me now is arkansas state representative and president of the human rights campaign an

asa hutchinson's statement on this is fascinating.is son, he said look the politics of this are really complicated. my son signed the -- you know a pledge to get me to not sign it. especially with young people even young republicans, there is a real resistance to talking about social issues on things like gay marriage and abortion. those views are changing particularly on gay marriage even among younger republicans. so the jeb bushes scott walkers, marco rubios chris christies, rand pauls of the world really don't want to spend much time talking about this and i think asa hutchinson looks at indiana and says, i don't want to become the next mike pence. sort of national fire storm of attention on me. that may be at least part of why he changed his mind. >> all right. chris cillizza jean cummings fantastic conversation. appreciate your insights. >>> well it only took a few hours for the critics to come crashing down on trevor noah the man picked to replace jon stewart on "the lady show." some of his older tweets about jewish people and

as we see governor hutchinson's own son went online and signed a petition. the only reason this is being brought up now has nothing to do with religious freedom or liberty. they have nothing else to go with because they don't have a health care plan. they don't have a social security plan. they don't have a deficit plan. the only thing they can go at is they want to take away your religious right. they want to take away anybody's religious right. churches are still do what they want to do. corporations have to look ahead. they're not able to look back. you'll see more of what's happening and more pushback across the country. most americans did not realize it was legal to discriminate in so many places. >> gail do you run on this? do lawmakers get pressured to defend this? >> i think it's an issue that we would prefer not to have on the table. we have so many things to take about whether it is jobs and the economy, the health issues in our state. this is not something we want to run on. we'd like to see this solved. we'd like to see the entire law repealed an

. >> asa hutchinson is facing ee nrm us new pressure in light of what happened in indiana. at 11:30 eastern, he'll have a news conference. we'll take you there live. it was approved by the arkansas legislature yesterday similar to indiana's. also similar to indiana, the measure has prompted backlash among business, especially this business. retail giant walmart. it's based in arkansas, they have come out against the measure. walmart urging the governor to veto, not sign on to the bill. >> walmart, the biggest private employer in that state. that's a big deal. also at this hour. new ddl's in indiana concerning their version of the bill. that state's governor pledged a fix and clarify that the law there does not allow for discrimination. cnn has learned when we might see the new language that he's proposing or being proposed there. joining us now is cnn correspondent rosa flores in indianapolis. what's the fix and when are we going to hear about it? >> a very interesting dynamic with politics and language. it's all about the language used to clarify this law and the language

this time it was asa hutchinson of arkansas. this time it was asa hutchinson of arkansas.terday, he said he would sign it, but today, he gave in to pressure from opponents, which included the state's largest company, walmart, and his own son. here's manuel bojorquez. >> my son, seth, signed the petition asking me, dad, the governor to veto this bill, and he gave me permission to make that reference. >> no religious freedom is restored by the bill at all. >> reporter: 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. >> this is a bill that in ordinary times would not be controversial. >> reporter: in arkansas corporate giant walmart urged the governor to reconsider, and religious leaders joined protesters. reverend robert lowry. >> it is blasphemous, it is an abomination and an affront to the gospel of jesus christ. >> reporter: hecklers greeted the sponsor of the bill at the state capital. >> shame on you! >> reporter: but representativ

today, in arkansas, asa hutchinson changed his mind. he said he will not sign it after all. he wants the language in the arkansas bill either recalled all together or wants it amended to make the bill less like what just happened in indiana, and more like the garden variety, noncontroversial religious freedom bills that have been passed federally and around the country for decades without much people caring because they weren't like the discrimination bill like the one just signed in indiana. asa hutchinson explained his about-face today by citing a personal communication from his own son. >> my son, seth, signed the petition asking me, dad, the governor, to veto this bill. and he gave me permission to make that reference. and it shows that families, and there's a generational difference of opinion on these issues. >> governor asa hutchinson was also urged to veto the bill. not just by his son, but by a little company you might have heard of called walmart. which is headquartered in arkansas. which is so big, it could eat the state of arkansas in one bite if it ever chose to

pressure on hutchinson to veto the bill came from all sides.er arkansas first lady hillary clinton, like indiana law, arkansas bill goes beyond protecting religion would permit unfair discrimination against lgbt americans. i urge governor to veto. to the ceo of walmart, whose headquarters are in the state and who warned the proposed law threatens to undermine the spirit of inclusion present throughout the state of arkansas and does not reflect the values we proudly uphold. hutchinson's decision comes as indiana's governor mike pence, deals with the outcry over his own state's religious freedom law. >> as i expecting this kind of backlash? heavens, no. >> reporter: pence stood by the law's intent but says there was a perception problem that set off days of protest. he directed state lawmakers to offer their fix to the law by the end of this week. but some in the state applaud pence for signing the bill like a pizzeria owner crystal o'connor who says it's her right to follow her beliefs. >> if a gay couple was to come in like say they wanted us t

i had thought governor hutchinson had said he would sign your bill. what's your reaction to his saying it needs to now be changed to narrow it to more closely match the federal law? >> well i think the reaction is it's not any different than the governor's handled all legislation that comes to his desk. he is pragmatic. he's a very popular governor because he is pragmatic and fair. he's looking at this bill from all directions. he thinks there needs to be a couple amendments and i'm open to considering those. >> let's talk about what this bill would do if there is a conservative christian florist, would it allow that florist to deny serving, providing services to a gay couple who wants flowers at their wedding? >> well i think that's two different questions to me. i think it does not allow for discrimination in any way. it does not allow for a florist to discriminate against a gay

republican governor asa hutchinson of arkansas has rejected a so-called "religious freedom" law that could sanction anti-lgbt discrimination. hutchinson had said he would sign the measure follow its passage in the state legislature last week. but a public outcry that included several protests, corporate leaders, and a backlash over a similar in indiana led hutchinson to back down. the governor said he's asked lawmakers to revise the measure. governor hutchison: i have asked that changes be made in the legislation, and i have asked the leaders of the general assembly to recall the bill so that it can be amended to reflect the terms of the federal religious freedom and restoration act. this is both about substance getting this legislation right and it is also about communicating to the world, and to our neighboring states that we are a state that recognizes the diversity of the workforce the need for nondiscrimination and that we want to accomplish that. amy: arkansas governor hutchinson said his own son had signed a petition asking him to veto the law. he called it a generational does

. >> calls today for arkansas governor asa hutchinson to veto a religious objection bill critics say would open the bill to widespread discrimination against gays and lesbians. governor hutchinson is about to speak on this subject as a news conference. >>> and a tour of nationals park to find out what's new this season. opening day monday. the national it's face the mets. make sure you download the nbc washington app for breaking developments. angie. >>> the prime minister of israel is now slamming nuclear negotiations with iran this morning. benjamin netanyahu saying that the world must insist on "a better deal." he says no deal should allow iran to continue enriching uranium. and he said bigger concessions are needed or iran will endanger israel and other nations. >> a better deal would significantly roll back iran's nuclear infrastructure a better deal would link the eventual lifting of the restrictions on iran's nuclear program to a change in iran's behavior. >> all eyes are on negotiations in switzerland. it's possible we could see a statement outlining the basic framework as so

. >> now hutchinson is sending the bill back to lawmakers. >> it's going to be interesting to see how hutchinson balances his base. >> walmart. >> with walmart. >> i think -- >> negotiations to stop iran from building a nuclear bomb were extended again. >> secretary of state kerry briefed president obama and his national security team by teleconference. all the negotiators are tired and frustrated. this is like groundhog day. >> when i look at how we started out here and they started out there, we keep moving in almost every issue. >> i live under a justice department cloud. i'm outraged that this cloud has not been lifted. >> men en did he say is the first senator charged with bribery in 35 years. >> i'm outraged at prosecutors at the justice department who were tricked with false allegations by those with a political motive to silence me. i will not be silenced. >> it's the top of the hour. welcome to morning joe. with us onset we've got catty kay. you jumped down from washington. the president of the council on foreign relations, richard haas and new york times reporter jeremy pete

governor hutchinson calling for changes to arkansas's own religious freedom bill.after public concern it promotes discrimination. >>> senator menendez due in court today. >> pope francis leading a mass for holy thursday. the pope blessing oils during masses in the coming year. >>> and now it's time for the good, bad and ugly. the good baseball star offering the reward for 16 stolen bikes custom made for wounded veterans. the ride to recovery bikes were taken from a naval medical center storage unit. >>> expecting traffic this morning? it's probably nothing compared to l.a. the city is at the top of a list of most congested cities. san francisco honolulu, second and third. >>> this is an ugly april fool's joke. tom brady sharing this photo. i think we have it for you. he was in a full body cast. trust me. looky for pats fans it wasn't real. >>> now it's time for your brew on this responses. a pizza shop closing its doors after protests and online threats because the owner said he would refuse to cater a gay wedding. should it be forced to close? >> if someone didn't

governor hutchinson said this morning he is sending the measure back to the state legislature. hutchinson originally supported the bill but walmart and a number of religious and civil rights groups opposed the law. they say it could allow businesses to discriminate against gays and lesbians. >>> latest of series of politicians to ban travel to indiana because of the religious freedom act there. indiana governor mike penn said the law was not intend to do legalize discrimination and asking lawmakers in the state to clarify the legislation by the end of the week. >>> potential presidential candidate jeb bush who was in the bay area this afternoon for a series of fund raisers said he supports indiana's religious freedom law. he will fund raise in silicon valley. many bay area high-tech firms came out against the indiana law including, twitter yelp, square apple and salesforce. >>> just ahead no place to stay why some south bay shelters for the homeless shut their doors. >>> breezy and cool outside as another warmup coming our way or rain? we'll have the complete bay area forecast.

. >> governor asa hutchinson was also urged to veto the bill. not just by his son, but by a little company you might have heard of called walmart. which is headquartered in arkansas. which is so big, it could eat the state of arkansas in one bite if it ever chose to. also lobbied to make this decision that he made today by the mayor of arkansas's largest city, the mayor of little rock. the mayor has been clear and loud on this issue, alongside groups like the little rock chamber of commerce, saying that arkansas's image cannot stand a hit like this. and maybe the little rock technology park, you know, will get their hiper caffeinated cool space after all. they're working on it, working to stop this law from happening in arkansas, too. joining us now is the mayor of little rock, arkansas. mayor, nice to have you here. thanks for being here this evening. >> thank you, rachel. i'm glad to be here with you. >> what was the tipping point for you to decide to write this letter to governor hutchinson and tell him it was important to little rock he said

republican arkansas governor asa hutchinson has said he plans to sign the bill into law.tuesday, the ceo of wal-mart, arkansas's largest corporation, called for hutchinson to veto the bill. wal-mart joins a growing number of corporations opposing the religious freedom bills. apple, angie's list and eli lilly, have asked indiana state officials to take immediate action to ensure the act will not sanction or encourage discrimination. unlike other states with similar laws, indiana and arkansas grant corporations the right to religious freedom. amy: a number of states and cities have also taken action. on tuesday, new york governor andrew cuomo banned non-essential state travel to indiana in support of lgbt members. new york city has done the same. the states of connecticut and washington had already banned official travel to the state as have the cities of san francisco, seattle and denver. at a a news conference on tuesday indiana's republican governor mike pence said he stood by the law but urged lawmakers to work on reforming the language. governor pence: this legislation

pressure on thoinch veto the bill came -- on hutchinson to veto the bill came from all sides. from hillary clinton, like i.n. law, a.r. bill goes beyond protecting the religion. to the ceo of walmart whose headquarters are in the state and warned the proposed law threat tones undermine the spirit of inclusion present throughout arkansas and does not reflect the values we proudly uphold. hutchinson's decision comes as indiana's governor deals with the outcry over his own state's religious freedom law. >> was i expecting this kind of backlash? heavens no. >> reporter: he stood by the law's intent but says there was a perception problem that set off days of protests. >> no hate in our state! >> reporter: he directed state lawmakers to offer their fix to the law by the end of this week. some applaud the law saying it's her right to support her beliefs. >> if a guy couple was to come in and wanted us to provide pizza as for a wedding, we would have to say no. >> reporter: memories pizza shut down because of threats. police did arrest a woman for threatening to burn down the busines

walmart and hutchinson's son were opposed to the bill. >>> this a remarkable survival story.a missing sailor 37-year-old louis jordan rescued after 66 days at sea on a disabled boat. he was spotted by a cargo ship on thursday 200 miles off cape hatteras north carolina. jordan was hoisted from the ship and flown to the hospital. following the release, he was asked about what he said to rescuers. >> gratitude and love and thankfulness. i patted them on the back and said thank you so much. i appreciate it. let me work for you. let me do something for you. they are like, no. you just got rescued. they would not let me do anything. they said take a shower. >> jordan says he survived eating raw fish and drinking rain water. >>> newly discovered internet searches revealing the details on what germanwings copilot had been thinking days before he flew his plane into a mountain. live with the developments up next. >>> new details in the germanwings crash investigation. sources telling cnn it is becoming increasingly clear that andreas lubitz was afraid of losing his pilot's license bec

. >> joining me, asa hutchinson, doris goodwin, cooper of the "new york" "new york times," and matt bye of yahoo news. william welcome to sunday. it's "meet the press." >> from nbc news in washington, this is "meet the press." >>> good morning before we get to all the week's politics and the discussion of america's drone war one story is dominating headlines across the globe this sunday. desperate rescue efforts are underway after the worst earthquake to hit nepal in more than 80 years. it struck near the capital, katmandu. the death toll is now over 2,000. it includes 17 climbers who were killed by avalanches on mount everest. one nepali journalist said this, the sadness is sinking in. we have lost our temples our history, the places we grew grew up. let's go to richard engle. he's in katmandu this morning. >> reporter: it is now a city where people aren't living inside their homes. every green space has been taken over. people are afraid to go into their homes, to sleep inside their homes. behind me is one of the biggest parks in the city. but it is not just this park. people are slee

. >> now hutchinson is sending the bill back to lawmakers. >> it's going to be interesting to see howith walmart. >> i think -- >> negotiations to stop iran from building a nuclear bomb were extended again. >> secretary of state kerry briefed president obama and his national security team by teleconference. all the negotiators are tired and frustrated. this is like groundhog day. >>

asa hutchinson, will not sign the the bill as it is worded right now. bill mirrors a law passed in indiana that lawmakers there are trying to amend. critics say it gives businesses a license to discriminate by refusing to sell goods and services to gay people. new at 6:00 "eyewitness news" reporter alexandria hoff looks closer at religious freedom laws in our area. >>> religious freedom verse civil rights. >> this is just a reiteration of what has always been debated fund. ly in our country. >> i don't know it is personal, i'm gay i'm married. >> everybody in the you had who some ways feel other or in some ways feel less than or different from should be concerned. >> reporter: in 2002 pennsylvania passed its own religious restoration act, similar to the one in indiana and arkansas but with the serious difference. >> the the difference with the religious act that we have here is that there is that explicit exception for businesses. >> reporter: that means here in pennsylvania, non-profits can choose not to serve someone for religious reasons. for profit

asa hutchinson said changes must be made first.kwell is following the story from little rock. what are the changes he wants made? >> reporter: i'm going to let the go thoracic the governor explain that himself in a moment. you see people walking around here. a rally ended on the steps of the capitol. it started with the human rights campaign saying they are hearing you, they are listening. the governor was expected to announce why he was signing this. the office this morning said he was going to sign this bill. instead he explained he wanted changes made. here's the governor this morning explaining what he wants to change in this bill. >> the bill that is on my desk at the present time does not precisely mirror the federal law. it doesn't mirror it in a couple of ways particularly allowing the first amendment to be assertive in the private litigation between parties or re realliance on state law and those claims. therefore i ask that changes be made this the legislation. i've asked the leaders of general assembly to recall the bill

among others the governor asa hutchinson his own son.if they put him to the law not to discriminate against the lgbt, what will the purpose of the law be. >>> iran's foreign minister saying significant progress has been made during a break although there's nothing to announce yet. meantime criticism of president obama is ramping up for refusing to walk away from the talks after not one but two deadlines that went by without a deal. >>> new jersey senator robert menendez set to appear in federal court in newark this morning after his indictment on corruption charges. he's accused of taking nearly $1 million in gifts and campaign contributions in exchange for political favors. the senator accusing prosecutors of not knowing the difference between friendship and corruption. >>> dramatic video to show you from police dash and body cameras as officers risk their lives chasing a tornado. newly released footage is from a twister that touched down from moore, oklahoma last week. you can see officers helping victims in a car wreck, officers scram

. >> pence's request comes as another governor arkansas's asa hutchinson follows through on a pledge to enact similar legislation. that could come today. rosa flores is in indianapolis but we begin in arkansas with victor blackwell. good morning victor. >> reporter: good morning, carol. i just spoke with the governor's office and they have said again that the governor will sign this bill. again, this could happen as early as today. we're expecting some public comment from the governor's office. they have not decided if it will be just a simple written statement or news conference like we saw from indiana's governor but that should come by noon eastern. i also spoke with the house minority leader representative eddie armstrong, and he says that the session is going to end very soon and there are few options here in arkansas for any type of fix. the deadline to present any bills to offer a fix has passed. the session is supposed to end tomorrow. he calls it reckless to end a session this way. he's asking the governor to consider vetoing this bill based on the economic impact on the sta

. >> pam: arkansas governor asa hutchinson will not sign that state's controversial religious freedom bill into law. at least not yet. a similar law in indiana sparked national outrage. as the gay and lesbian community labeled it as a tool for discrimination. >> pam: cnn's stacey cohan has more from washington. >> reporter:whether it was the controversy. >>: we shall overcome. >> reporter:.or the contents of the bill. the result is the same. >> reporter:arkansas governor asa hutchinson will not sign the religious freedom bill as it is currently written. >>arkansas "we want to be known as a state that does not discriminate but understands tolerance." >> reporter:the bill mirrors a law businesses a license to discriminate by refusing to sell their good and services to gay people, if they choose. >> reporter:indiana's governor mike pence is now asking legislators to make changes. >>indiana "we will fix this and we will move forward." >> reporter:back in arkansas - governor hutchinson says the debate over the bill really hit home. >>arkansas" "my son seth signed the petition asking me, da

asa hutchinson will not sign the bill.cnn's victor blackwell has more from little rock. >> reporter: christine, one described it as acrobatics. there were lots of maneuvers. the state senate passed a new religious freedom bill and it goes on to the house. this new bill at least the senate believes has the language that governor hutchinss hutchinson was looking for. the original bill that was sent to him did not have that language. he asked the state assembly to recall the bill and put that language in. that was a surprise because up to this point, the governor said he was going to sign the bill. was it the pressure from the business community? walmart? the largest private employer in the state? 50,000 employees. or the governor's son, seth telling his father he should veto it. the governor said that he listened to both of the opinions and took those into consideration. >> my responsibility is to speak out on my own convictions and to do what i can as governor to make sure this bill reflects the values of the people of arka

before the national outcry this week, hutchinson had been on track to sign the exact same legislation for arkansas. but after seeing the boycotts and the national condemnation erupt, governor hutchinson changed his mind and said he wanted to arkansas bill recalled or at least changed to alleviate those kinds of concerns. today, he very happily signed that fix. lots of people there, lots of people applauding as he did so. today, mike pence also signed that kind of fix in indiana. there was this weird moment this afternoon when reporters for some reason were advised that mike pence was going to make a new statement through this week and issue in indiana, reporters showed up, the podium was set up. microphones were tapped. everybody was ready for mike pence. no mike pence. he never showed up. we are told that he did sign the supposed fix in indiana, but he did so in private. on no cameras, no reporters, no statements. not this time, not like the last time. so this has just been a remarkable speak. this backlash against indiana has been profound as have its consequences. as of today, repu

the economy of arkansas is always going to be what governor hutchinson is judged on. there are big boycotts -- i'm not saying anybody has proposed this -- but if wal-mart announced they're moving headquarters out of bentonville. that's not on the table. hutchinson would be held responsible. nobody would be talking about this law and this moment. they'd be talking about oh my god we're losing jobs. that's the bottom line. >> coming full circle when it pertains to jobs economy and the governor. see you at the top of the hour sir. >> all right. thank you brooke. >>> in indiana, on that negotiation lawmakers are busy trying to make changes to the controversy religious freedom law as we were outlining there. mike pence wants it fixed after huge public backlash that caught him by surprise. pence probably never expected this. there is a new church that is all about cannabis. it was established last thursday on the day pence signed the law. the facebook page has more than 16,000 likes. it has raised more than $4500 on its go fund me page. the church hopes to raise $20,000. i'

>> reporter: hutchinson is the second governor to ask for change in controversial legislation. >> clearly, there's been a misunderstanding, and confusion. >> reporter: one of the arkansas bill sponsors told cnn the law would not allow for discrimination. here's his logic. >> i do not feel he doesn't have the right to provide a homosexual couple by providing a cake. it's about freedom of speech. >> so you're saying he would have to bake the cake but not put congratulations on top of it? >> that's right. >> reporter: the ceo of walmart, which is head quartered in, saw, is urging the governor to veto the bill, with 50,000 workers across arkansas, walmart is the state's largest private employer. doug mcmillen says the bill undermines the spirit of inclusion. >> it's divided families, and there's clearly a generational gap on this issue. >> reporter: even the governor's son, seth hutchinson, posted a statement on facebook calling for a ground swell of grassroots opposition to house bill 1228. despite the strong opposition, state senator hester says that changing the bill is going to be tough.

what are we expecting from asa hutchinson today?edom restoration act which is similar to the controversial legislation in indiana. we don't know. last we heard it was prior to this massive back lash we have seen in indiana. we don't know if that's going to prove persuasive on governor hutchinson. everybody will be watching at 11:30 eastern to see what he says. >> in the past he was clear he would sign this. >> right, but he has been very adamant about wooing tech talent to the state, we have seen tech leaders be the most outspoken opponents to the religious freedom measures. we saw walmart, a massive employer based in arkansas come out against the bill urging him to veto it. he could be looking at what's happening in indiana to governor pence and say i don't want any part of this. >> we will see at 11:30 eastern time. thanks for being with me. >>> up next we will zoom through today's other top stories, including charges of the man accused of carrying out a knife attack to the ambassador to south korea. >>> and the sierra snow pack a

arkansas where hours after the legislature passed its religious freedom bill the governor, asa hutchinson, is sending it back. he wants changes. >> my position is clear. i've asked them to remedy it. i've asked them to change the current law and i've asked them to recall it and change the language on it. >> that decision just 24 hours after indiana governor mike pence asked legislators to send him clarification on their bill. "the indianapolis star" reporting the new language would set limited protections for lgbt residents. indiana's speaker addressed fixing the law on cnn this morning. >> we don't support discrimination. it was not the intent. my focus now is to fix that concern and we're extremely close to making that happen. >> so we're coverings latest developments in both states. nbc's john yang is reporting in indianapolis. nbc's sarah dallof is in little rock, arkansas. that's where we're going to start today. sarah, it was very unexpected to see the governor come out and say that he was not going to be signing this bill especially when all signs pointed to yes. >> yeah it was qui

following governor hutchinson's announcement saying -- >> joining us now is richard wolf, executive editor of msnbc.com. nina burly and nicholas christoph. also joining us, garrett epps, law professor at the university of baltimore. garrett epps, what does the legislature have to do in arkansas to meet the governor's new requirement that it mirror the federal law? >> well, the arizona -- the arkansas religious freedom act is an extraordinary act. it's beyond question the sort of broadest and potentially most discriminatory of any state of religious restoration act -- >> garrett, more so than the indiana law? >> significantly more so, yes. in fact, i said today that this arkansas law makes the indiana law look like the universal declaration of human rights. it's very focused on a certain outcome. to begin with, it applies to any corporation, any business. there's no limitation whatsoever as there is in federal law or even in the indiana law. beyond that, it says that the burden on someone's religious rights placed by a state statute has to be essential. that's a much -- or significan

we've got the republican governor of arkansas asa hutchinson.ugh the states' rights argument on this front. do you believe -- you're an attorney i believe. do you believe there is a line you can draw between saying the federal question is states have to recognize versus the question of whether states have to authorize? >> i thought your arguments were persuasive in the previous discussion. i think there is a way the court can do that. if you look at the windsor case that was spoken of, it was not just how gays were treated that was part of the decision, but also a deference to states' definition of marriage. that's been historically a recognition by the supreme court. what has changed, the constitution hasn't changed. a lot of things have happened in the state courts. a majority of the states that have moved toward recognizing gay marriage has done it through judicial fiat versus the legislative process. so the courts really are forcing this issue as to what the supreme court will do. i think it's unpredictable. i think they could continue to gi

governor hutchinson may say i didn't know about this or i took my son to sign a petition but this has been on the cards. it's only difficult because we're talking about it social media is talking about it, and the business groups have said no more. >> mark solomon, thanks for joining us on this tonight. >>> coming up teachers and administrators convicted in enormous public school cheating scheme. here in san diego, we're building the first one ever to run on natural gas. ships this big running this clean will be much better for the environment. we're proud to be a part of that. sunday dinners at my house... it's a full day for me, and i love it. but when i started having back pain my sister had to come help. i don't like asking for help. i took tylenol but i had to take six pills to get through the day. so my daughter brought over some aleve. it's just two pills, all day! and now, i'm back! aleve. two pills. all day strong, all day long. and for a good night's rest, try aleve pm for a better am. this kis makes stains like you would not believe so when we had him, we bought one of thos

. >> asa hutchinson also signed a religious freedom law yesterday. >> what about the family run pizza pizzaria. >> they are promising to reopening. they have been shocked by the threats and hateful comments they received and said they were just answering a hypothetical question and never refused to customer. >> the anger, the bitterness it is something that i never expected or imagined when the comments were made. >> many americans are defending this small business. in just one day people have donated more than $480,000 for them to reopen. >>> millions of christians are marking good friday this morning. just now in jerusalem thousands recreated christ's journey to be crucified. at sundown tonight, jewish families commemorate the eight-day holiday. >>> he built a towering empire on the foundation of god's word. >> every sunday morning you say turn around, someone is giving you a blessing, god loves you and so do i. >> remembering robert schuler the hour of power founder passed away at 88 years old. >> looking at 2016 mike huckabee launching a brand new super pac has he is mulling the p

hill to walk away altogether we will talk with former passenger to the united nations and a set hutchinson doing his best impression of governor pence distancing himself from the controversial religious freedom act after demonstrations in protest and threats of boycotts from big business. and then succumbing to the awesome power of corporate interest. what happens to religious freedom and representation of the citizenry? that is my commentary tonight. hey a busy day at the obama justice department - - department and is dropping the content case against low was lerner and the irs but they did indict senator mendez on corruption charges breach take up the politics regarding both decisions. beginning with the extension of the nuclear talks for ago the secretary kerry remained behind and the iran for minister warns this may be the last opportunity for a nuclear deal. >> with the opportunity to engage with those negotiating partners to seize the moment. lou: joining as that of former ambassador to the united nations bill richardson and also former governor of new mexico and has to listen to the

. >> a similar religious freedom is now on the desk of arkansas governor hutchinson. he's refusing to sign it though until it is more in line with the federal law. in state laws the language is often broader and there are different interpretations. >> my son seth signed the petition asking, dad, the governor to veto this bill, and he gave me permission to make that reference. >> hutchinson faced criticism over the state law from businesses including wal-mart. he has just five days to take action until the bill becomes law without his signature. >> now the ncaa final four is in indianapolis this weekend and it is raising pressure for even more resolve to get this, use settled before the tip off of the first game. andrea, nick? >> all right, so it's never a surprise at how much money talks right? >>> two hours north of indianapolis in walkerton, indiana memories pizza is getting threats after its owner sends a new religious freedom law supports this decision not to cater gay weddings. and an assistant softball coach who tweeted whose going to walkerton with me to burn d