Republican Indiana Governor Mike Pence
on Thursday said he regrets the “misunderstanding” surrounding a
so-called religious freedom law.
Passage of the measure sparked a
backlash and criticism that it could open the door to discrimination
against gay men and lesbians.
Just days after he appeared on ABC's
This Week, where he insisted the law would not be changed,
Pence asked lawmakers to “fix” the bill to include LGBT
protections.
(Related: Indiana,
Arkansas governors sign revised “religious freedom” bills.)
“Despite my best efforts to correct
misconceptions about the bill it was clear to me that it would be
important for the legislature to act and clarify the bill,” he
said. “There was never any intent to license discrimination.”
However, the fallout appears to have
damaged Indiana's reputation, with two groups canceling major
conventions scheduled to take place in Indianapolis.
“People around America know Indiana
and they know Hoosiers,” Pence added. “I regret this
misunderstanding. But we're determined to tell Indiana's story and
very confident that the strong and good and compassionate reputation
will go forward.”