Jan Brewer

Jan Brewer
Brewer in 2025
22nd Governor of Arizona
In office January 21, 2009 – January 5, 2015
Preceded by	Janet Napolitano
Succeeded by	Doug Ducey
18th Secretary of State of Arizona
In office January 6, 2003 – January 21, 2009
Governor	Janet Napolitano
Preceded by	Betsey Bayless
Succeeded by	Ken Bennett
Member of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors
In office January 3, 1997 – January 6, 2003
Preceded by	Ed King
Succeeded by	Max Wilson
Member of the Arizona Senate from the 19th district
In office January 6, 1987 – January 3, 1997
Preceded by	Billy Davis
Succeeded by	Scott Bundgaard
Member of the Arizona House of Representatives from the 19th district
In office January 3, 1983 – January 6, 1987
Preceded by	Jane Dee Hull
Succeeded by	Don Kenney
Personal details
Born	Janice Kay Drinkwine (1944-09-26) September 26, 1944 (age 80) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouses	Ronald Warren ​ ​ (m. 1963; div. 1967)​ John Brewer ​ (m. 1970)​
Children	3
Education	Glendale Community College (Arizona)
Signature

Janice Kay Brewer (née Drinkwine, formerly Warren; born September 26, 1944)^[1] is an American politician and author who served as the 22nd governor of Arizona from 2009 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Brewer is the fourth woman (and was the third consecutive woman) to be Governor of Arizona. Brewer assumed the governorship as part of the line of succession, as determined by the Arizona Constitution, when Governor Janet Napolitano resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. Brewer had been Secretary of State of Arizona from January 2003 to January 2009.

Born in California, Brewer attended Glendale Community College, from where she received a radiological technologist certificate. She has never earned a college degree. She was a state representative and state senator for Arizona from 1983 to 1996. She was chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors before running for Arizona secretary of state in 2002.

As governor, Brewer signed the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act. The act makes it a state misdemeanor crime for a noncitizen to be in Arizona without carrying registration documents required by federal law, authorizes state and local law enforcement of federal immigration laws and cracks down on those sheltering, hiring and transporting illegal immigrants. Brewer sought and was elected to a full term as governor of Arizona in 2010.

Jan Brewer was born Janice Kay Drinkwine on September 26, 1944, to Edna Clarice (née Bakken) and Perry Wilford Drinkwine in Hollywood, Los Angeles.^[2] Brewer is of English and Norwegian descent.^[3][4] Her maternal grandfather, Emil Theodore Bakken, was from Norway; her maternal grandmother, Carrie Nelson, was from Minnesota, the daughter of Norwegian immigrants.^[4] Her paternal grandmother, Sarah Rosina Ford (née Wilford), was an Englishwoman from Buckinghamshire.^[4]

Brewer's father worked at a United States Navy munitions depot in Hawthorne, Nevada, as a civilian supervisor. She lived with her parents and her brother Paul at the military base until she was ten years old, when her father was afflicted with lung cancer. They moved to Tujunga, Los Angeles, where her father died when she was eleven. Her mother opened a dress store to support the children, and Brewer helped her mother by cleaning, working the register, and keeping inventory.^[2] She graduated from Verdugo Hills High School in 1962.^[5]

Brewer attended Glendale Community College in California.^[a] She received a certificate as a radiological technician in 1963.^[2] Her decision to study radiology was influenced by her father's death from lung cancer.^[6] She married John Brewer in 1963 and they moved to Glendale, California. There she worked as an office manager to support John while he studied to become a chiropractor. They moved to Phoenix, Arizona, before settling in Glendale, Arizona, where John worked in chiropractic and real estate.^[2] They had three children, and Brewer stayed home to raise them while John worked.^[6]

One of their sons, Ronald Brewer, was declared not guilty by reason of insanity for the rape of a Phoenix woman in 1989; he was a psychiatric patient for many years in the Arizona State Hospital.^[7] His case file was sealed by a Phoenix judge shortly before Brewer became governor.^[8] Ronald Brewer died in November 2018.^[9]

Brewer began attending school board meetings in 1981.^[6] Here she took interest in politics and considered running for a school board seat in the Glendale Union High School District, feeling she could do better than the sitting members.^[10] When a seat for District 19 of the Arizona House of Representatives became vacant, she decided this would give her a better position to affect education policy.^[2] She was elected to the seat in 1982.^[6] Brewer was one of several women, referred to as the "Republican wives", who were elected to the legislature this year.^[11] She was reelected in 1984 and was then elected to the Arizona Senate in 1986.^[6] Brewer was involved in a car crash in 1988 and was suspected of drunk driving, but she was not arrested because of legislative immunity.^[12] She became majority whip of the Arizona Senate in 1993 and held this position until she left the Senate in 1996.^[2]

As state senator, Brewer developed a reputation for bipartisanship and a willingness to pass legislation.^[2] She supported creating an office of lieutenant governor in the state, arguing that holding the office of secretary of state does not make a candidate qualified for governor, and that the office should be filled by a member of the same party should a vacancy arise.^[3] Brewer favored tax cuts, opposed the creation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, opposed the impeachment of Republican Governor Evan Mecham in 1988, and supported open enrollment for public schools as a form of school choice.^[6] Brewer pushed for a bill that would require albums to carry a warning if it contained obscene lyrics, but it never passed. She also led a charge to block a monument for Vietnam War protesters which earned her the nickname Janbo,^[13] a reference to the film character John Rambo.^[6]

Brewer decided to run for the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in 1996 when it approved an unpopular sales tax to fund the construction of the Bank One Ballpark.^[6] She challenged the incumbent chair, Ed King, in a primary election and won his seat.^[2] She defeated the incumbent, Ed King, and was on the board for six years.^[3] She supported a different sales tax to fund county jails.^[6] She was a voice for fiscal conservatism on the board as it addressed the county's $165 million debt that it had accumulated through bonds.^[6]

Brewer ran for Secretary of State of Arizona to replace outgoing secretary of state Betsey Bayless.^[2] She won the Republican primary election with 45 percent of the vote, defeating Phoenix councilman Sal DiCiccio and gubernatorial aide Sharon Collins. She then won the general election against Democratic state senator Chris Cummiskey with 49 percent of the vote.^[6]

Brewer implemented a program in January 2003 for members of the United States Armed Forces deployed in other countries to vote through the internet or by fax machine.^[2] She came into conflict with Governor Janet Napolitano, who was a member of the Democratic Party. This included a dispute in 2003 when Napolitano tried to reallocate Brewer's office in Tucson. Brewer was responsible for implementing Arizona Proposition 200 in 2004, which required citizens in the state to show proof of citizenship before registering to vote or applying for public benefits.^[14] Critics of the proposition argued that it was anti-immigrant and discriminated against Latino citizens.^[15]

Brewer served as the co-chair of the George W. Bush 2004 presidential campaign in Arizona.^[14] She was reelected as Arizona secretary of state in 2006 with 57 percent of the vote.^[14] Her second son died of cancer during her second term in 2007.^[14]

Brewer became governor of Arizona on January 21, 2009.^[6] As Arizona Secretary of State, Brewer was next in line for gubernatorial succession when Governor Napolitano was confirmed as Secretary of Homeland Security in the Obama administration.^[16] At the time, she was a political unknown.^[17] The Arizona legislature was controlled by Republicans affiliated with the Tea Party movement during Brewer's tenure.^[18] She rejected obstructionism as a political strategy and was willing to ignore the positions of the Republican Party's leadership if she felt it would be advantageous to implement a policy.^[19] Brewer's ascension to the governorship meant that the Republican Party had a government trifecta.^[20] The change in power caused a shift in the state government's dynamic. Republican legislators had been willing to support their party on issues they disagreed with, knowing that Napolitano would veto these bills, but this was a riskier strategy under a Republican governor whose positions were not as well known.^[21]

Economic issues were Brewer's main focus when taking office.^[22] She became governor during the Great Recession, and Arizona had been heavily impacted by the collapse of the decade's housing bubble.^[14] It had become the poorest state in the nation along with Mississippi.^[23] In her inaugural address, Brewer promised to keep taxes low in Arizona, in an attempt to attract business from other states^[20] Despite this, she later decided that a raise in taxes was necessary to address the state's deficit. Two Republican legislators left the room in protest after she suggested this to the Arizona legislature.^[14] This fermented an adversarial relationship between Brewer and the legislature.^[21] The policy was criticized by both of Arizona's Republican U.S. Senators, John McCain and Jon Kyl. Anti-tax advocate Grover Norquist accused Brewer of using immigration to distract from her tax policy.^[19] It rejected her sales tax proposal in 2009 but then approved a referendum in February 2010.^[24]

By the time her sales tax was approved, Brewer's relations with the legislature had improved, and they agreed on a series of spending cuts. They revoked state health insurance for approximately 357,000 low-income Arizonans, closed state parks, and laid off hundreds of Arizona Motor Vehicle Department employees.^[14]

Brewer was at the center of several political conflicts between Arizona and the Obama administration.^[18] She criticized Obama on a personal level, feeling that his behavior toward her was condescending.^[25] She became an adversary of Obama, particularly in disputes over immigration policy.^[26] She made her opposition to Obama part of her political image to garner support among Republicans.^[27] Brewer had Arizona join other states in issuing a legal challenge against the Affordable Care Act.^[14]

State treasurer Dean Martin launched a primary challenge against Brewer in the 2010 gubernatorial election in protest of her implementation of a sales tax.^[19] Polling by Rasmussen Reports found on March 23 that Martin was polling better than her in the Republican Party primary and that she was also polling poorly in the general election.^[23] She also faced a primary challenge from businessman Owen Mills.^[14]

The murder of Robert Krentz on March 27 triggered wide support for stronger immigration policy. Brewer made anti-immigration rhetoric a major aspect of her campaign. State legislator Russell Pearce took advantage of this to promote his immigration bill Arizona SB 1070.^[28] Though Brewer's office typically did not show interest in crafting legislation, it worked with Pearce to refine the bill.^[29] SB 1070 mandated that police check the residency status of anyone they suspect to be an undocumented immigrant, and it made it a crime for non-citizens to be in Arizona without carrying residency paperwork.^[30] SB 1070 received national media attention and was the subject of major protests as it went to Brewer for her to sign. Both Democrats and Republicans in Arizona were surprised by the sudden attention it received. Brewer was uncertain about whether to sign the bill and waited while political discourse took place.^[31] Her advisors warned her that vetoing the bill would likely cause her to lose her primary election, as she was already being criticized as not being conservative. She considered the issue for four days before deciding to sign it.^[32]

Brewer signed SB 1070 into law on April 23, codifying the strictest immigration laws in the United States.^[33] The bill became a national controversy. A majority of Americans supported the measure, while major opposition also emerged.^[34] Opponents launched nationwide protests the day it was signed, and lawsuits were filed against the bill shortly after.^[33] A court injunction blocked many of the bill's provisions.^[35] In an unsuccessful attempt to end the controversy, Brewer signed a follow-up bill days later that set new anti-discrimination standards for its enforcement.^[36] As the bill received national attention, Brewer became its main defender and emerged as one of the most prominent figures in the nation's immigration discourse.^[37][38] Brewer achieved more policy victories while the controversy went on: she signed several more immigration bills,^[39] and the referendum for her sales tax passed with 64 percent of the vote on May 18.^[40] She was invited to the White House for a discussion with President Obama on June 3 where they disagreed on state governments' role in immigration policy.^[41]

In her memoir, Brewer described the resistance to her immigration policy as fighting a war and likened criticism of her to being waterboarded.^[28] She argued that the state government was rectifying failures of the federal government and was being unduly persecuted for its efforts.^[25] Brewer accused national critics of SB 1070 of wanting to see Arizona fail so they can "create headlines".^[42] When critics of the bill likened it to Nazism, Brewer falsely claimed that her father had died fighting Nazi Germany when he had lived for another ten years after the war.^[13] She received bipartisan backlash when she said without evidence that a majority of undocumented immigrants from Mexico were involved in drug trafficking.^[43] Brewer also alleged that violence from the Mexican drug war had become common in Arizona, saying that terrorist attacks were taking place and that there were numerous beheaded corpses found in Arizona. She retracted this statement, but unsubstantiated claims of beheadings continued to be invoked by anti-immigration advocates.^[44]

SB 1070 was popular in Arizona and brought a significant improvement for her approval rating.^[28][19] Previously at 40 percent, her statewide approval rose to 56 percent in the bill's aftermath.^[14] Many Arizonans felt resentment for being described as racist by commentators from other states, and they came to see Brewer as their defender, earning her further support.^[40] The popularity of SB 1070 assured that she was her party's nominee in the gubernatorial election.^[19] Brewer won her primary election with 82 percent of the vote and went on to face Terry Goddard, the Attorney General of Arizona, in the general election.^[6] SB 1070 complicated Goddard's campaign not only because it brought Brewer ahead in the polls, but because his role as attorney general required him to defend Arizonan law in court. Brewer ordered that his power to represent Arizona in court be removed, and he accepted this decision despite arguing that it was unconstitutional.^[45] Goddard attacked Brewer for the national image that SB 1070 gave Arizona. She was widely ridiculed for a moment in a debate against Goddard where she paused for ten seconds while speaking.^[46]

Brewer was elected in her own right on November 2, 2010, to the office of governor in the state's general election. She won with 54 percent of the vote, defeating Goddard's 42 percent.^[6] She was sworn in for a full term on January 3, 2011, on the State Capitol grounds in Phoenix.^[47] Arizona Senate President Russell Pearce credited SB 1070 as the deciding factor in Brewer's election, saying that she would have lost otherwise.^[44] Her support among Latino voters was low, receiving only 28 percent of the Latino vote compared to the 40 percent Republican John McCain received in the 2010 U.S. Senate election in Arizona.^[48]

Brewer appealed a court ruling against SB 1070 in 2011, petitioning the Supreme Court of the United States to hear the issue. This caused Arizona's immigration politics to become a national issue on the day of a Republican Party presidential debate.^[49] Arizona launched a countersuit against the federal government for failing to enforce immigration policy, but this was dismissed in October 2011.^[46] The court upheld the provision of SB 1070 requiring police to check for immigration status in June 2012.^[50] Time considered Brewer for its 2012 Time 100 list of influential figures for her role in the immigration debate, but she was not selected.^[51] As the controversy around SB 1070 faded, Brewer's approval rating fell to about 42 percent.^[46]

Arizona gained a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2010 United States census. The state's bipartisan redistricting commission—composed of two Democrats, two Republicans, and one independent member chosen by the other four to serve as chair—created a new electoral map for the state. Republicans criticized the new map as favoring the Democratic Party, so Brewer accused the independent chair Colleen Coyle Mathis of "gross misconduct" and refused to implement the redistricting.^[52] Brewer worked with the Arizona Senate to remove Mathis in November 2011.^[46] The commission took the issue to the Arizona Supreme Court, which ordered that Mathis be reinstated and rejected Brewer's attempt to void the electoral map.^[46]

Brewer wrote a memoir in 2011 titled Scorpions for Breakfast: My Fight Against Special Interests, Liberal Media, and Cynical Politicos to Secure America's Border.^[46] It was published November 2011 by Broadside Books.^[53] This made her a New York Times Best Selling Author with Scorpions for Breakfast having reached the New York Times Best Seller lists for e-book nonfiction and combined print and e-book nonfiction.^[54][55]

Brewer resumed her focus on Arizona's economy when she entered her second term, passing a budget with the Republican-controlled legislature in 2011 that cut spending by $1.1 billion. With the deficit resolved, she passed tax cuts in 2012 as a push to create new jobs.^[46] She vetoed many Republican bills in her second term, including a bill in 2011 that would have required presidential candidates to show a birth certificate to run in Arizona, which was supported by the Birther movement that accused Obama of secretly being a foreign national. The legislature refused to work with her on other issues because of these vetoes, rejecting her proposal to extend unemployment benefits.^[46] Brewer's 2010 sales tax expired as planned in 2014.^[56]

Brewer brought national attention to herself when she wagged her finger in Obama's face while speaking to him on an airport tarmac.^[57] A photo of the incident was widely circulated and became an iconic image of her governorship.^[58] In another incident, she physically struck a reporter who asked her about climate change in December 2012. After this happened, she disappeared until it was found that she had taken an announced trip to Afghanistan with the Department of Defense.^[59]

Brewer was not able to run for a second full four-year term in 2014. The Arizona Constitution limits the governor to two consecutive terms, regardless of whether they are full or partial terms. However, former governors are allowed to seek additional nonconsecutive terms after a four-year respite. In November 2012, Brewer declared she was looking into what she called "ambiguity" in Arizona's term-limit law to seek a third term.^[60] She argued that the two-term limit did not apply to the partial term that she began in 2009.^[59] In February 2014, Brewer reiterated that she was considering running for re-election,^[61] but on March 12, 2014, she announced that she would not attempt to seek another term in office, which would have required what The Arizona Republic called a "long-shot court challenge".^[62]

Brewer endorsed Scott Smith, mayor of Mesa, as her successor in the Republican gubernatorial primary election. Doug Ducey won the primary and then defeated Democrat Fred DuVal in the general election.^[63]

Brewer opposed abortion except for cases of rape and incest.^[2] Shortly after becoming governor, Brewer implemented a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking abortion.^[14][34] She signed an abortion bill that banned abortions on the basis of a fetus's race or sex in March 2011. The following year, she signed a ban on abortions after 20 weeks and an exemption to religious organizations to provide contraception in the healthcare coverage.^[46]

Brewer implemented a law forbidding minors from having an abortion unless they have written and notarized permission from their parents or guardians.^[34]

Brewer signed legislation that authorized the Department of Health Services to conduct unannounced inspections of abortion clinics.^[64]

Brewer issued an executive order on the environment on February 2, 2010. This established Arizona's Policy on Climate Change to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also removing Arizona from the Western Climate Initiative.^[65] She argued that the Western Climate Initiative's cap-and-trade system would prevent economic recovery in Arizona.^[14]

Brewer identified as a fiscal conservative.^[23] She supported tax cuts as governor^[6][66] and was against raising taxes outside of her implementation of a sales tax that she deemed necessary.^[2]

Brewer became governor during the Great Recession and spent her governorship reversing Arizona's deficit of about $3 billion. To do this, she reduced spending by $1 billion, borrowed $1 billion in funding, and passed a sales tax to raise $1 billion. Although she was successful in eliminating the state's deficit, it returned toward the end of her term. Opponents blamed her support for SB 1070, her veto of a religious rights bill, and her corporate tax cuts for dissuading businesses from investing in the state.^[26]

Brewer created the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA)^[67] as the statewide economic development organization. The ACA board of directors consists of business people,^[68] with the intent to focus on business attraction, retention and expansion in Arizona's economic sectors. The governor also armed the ACA with a $25 million deal closing fund^[69] to help attract employers and replaced incentive programs with performance based tax credits.

In 2013, Arizona State University, the Mayo Clinic and the City of Phoenix established the Arizona Biomedical Corridor through contractor KUD International.^[70] Brewer guided the State Selection Boards' approval of a beneficiary re-designation on 25 acres of State Trust land whereby trust lands designated for K-12 education were exchanged for university lands.^[71] This allows the implementation of Arizona State University's plans to establish post-secondary education and research facilities closely tied to the Mayo Hospital's mission.

Arizona's tax code underwent significant changes during Brewer's tenure.^[72] Besides the increase in sales tax, Brewer reduced business property and equipment taxes and corporate income tax.^[73] She eliminated the tax on energy sales to manufacturers.^[74] In addition to shifting tax rates away from business, she also undertook a simplification of tax filings. Brewer convened a task force in 2012 to develop recommendations that would simplify the tax code, reduce taxpayer confusion and improve compliance and efficiency. Thanks to legislation enacted in 2013 and 2014, many task force recommendations are now law and have phased in throughout 2015, including single point of administration and collection, a single and uniform audit program, uniform state and city licensing procedures, and prime contracting relief for trade and service contractors.^[75]

Brewer signed Tort reform legislation which included a monetary cap on appeal bonds^[76] and a cap on damages.^[77] She also signed legislation to adopt the Daubert standard.^[78]

Brewer enacted policies that gave schools A-F letter grades, provided additional funding to schools that improved student performance, and evaluated and rewarded teachers based on effectiveness rather than seniority.^[79]

Brewer expanded access to private schools by increasing tax credits for school tuition organizations and creating empowerment scholarship accounts.^{[citation needed]} Since 2010, charter school enrollment increased by more than 30,000 students and funding for private school choice options increased by more than 50%.^[80][81]

Brewer signed HB 2881 on May 11, 2010, which withheld funding from any schools that taught resentment against a racial group or promoted the overthrow of the government. This was criticized as a means to attack ethnic studies in general, but the only race-based instruction challenged by the law was a program to support Mexican American students in the Tucson Unified School District.^[82]

At Brewer's direction, Arizona joined a coalition of 26 other states to fight the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the U.S. Supreme Court, but the court upheld most of the ACA's provisions.^[83] Though Brewer opposed the ACA, she deviated from her party by adopting the act's Medicaid expansion. Many Republican governors rejected the expansion in the hope that it would limit the Affordable Care Act's reach, but Brewer argued that accepting the funding to support Arizona's poor was more pragmatic than rejecting it and letting the government allocate it elsewhere. When the Republican-controlled Arizona State Legislature objected, Brewer began vetoing every bill they sent her until they approved the Medicaid expansion.^[19] This brought her in conflict with the Republican leader of the Arizona Senate, Andy Biggs, who was opposed by an alliance of Brewer's supporters and members of the Democratic Party.^[26]

Arizona's behavioral health system for Maricopa County individuals with SMI has been overseen by the Arnold v. Sarn lawsuit for more than 30 years.^[84] Brewer and the plaintiffs reached an agreement that ends this litigation by reaffirming Arizona's commitment to a community-based behavioral health system of care.^[85] The agreement ensures that Arizona will continue to provide community-based services such as supported housing, supported employment, peer support and assertive treatment teams. The agreement builds national behavioral health standards into the system, requires an annual quality service review to determine if patient needs are being identified and addressed and an annual independent service capacity analysis be performed to ensure there are sufficient providers to meet patient needs. The agreement is structured so that it remains enforceable by the courts should Arizona not live up to its commitments in the future. This guarantees Arizona will maintain its commitment to a community-based behavioral health system.

Brewer directed the Arizona Department of Health Services to integrate behavioral and physical health care for Title XIX eligible SMI members through a "Recovery through Whole Health" program.^[86]

In the face of a mounting budget crisis in Arizona, Brewer signed the 2011 legislative budget, which eliminates the Arizona variant of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, known as KidsCare, that provides health insurance to uninsured children^[87] whose families' income exceeds the Medicaid cutoff.^[88] Brewer, at a press conference, said the state had no choice but to eliminate the free health care programs saying, "We do not have the money [...] We are broke."^[89]

Brewer cut funding for organ transplants in 2010 after the legislature determined that limited survival rates did not justify the cost.^[34] After criticism, the funding was restored.^[90]

Brewer abolished the Child Protective Services (CPS) department and created the Department of Child Safety (DCS) – a permanent, stand-alone agency with the express mission of safeguarding Arizona's abused and neglected children.^[91] All 6,596 cases that were previously not investigated have been investigated and closed.^[92] Brewer created a Human Trafficking Council to implement best practices, promote greater collaboration with law enforcement, state agencies and the community-at-large and raise public awareness about victims' services, restitution and prevention.^[93]

Brewer established the Arizona SERVES Task Force to improve the working relationships between the state, non-profit organizations and community and faith-based entities.^[94] She also created the Office of Faith and Community Partnerships and the Council on Faith and Community Partnerships. The office is a statewide faith and community initiative resource and promotes service and volunteerism throughout the state.

Brewer's critics accused her of cutting funding for important services, including education, mental health, and public safety.^[20]

Brewer opposed federal involvement in state politics.^[95] As governor, Brewer reformed its personnel system, toward a system modeled after the private sector.^[96] As part of the reform effort, a number of pivotal actions were implemented including^[97] consolidating the Governor's control over personnel, implementing at-will workforce, implemented a performance management system and pay practices to recognize and reward top performers, and other measures.

By March 2013, 80% of the employees were at-will. In 2015, on average over 100 employees volunteered every pay period to go from being covered to uncovered, at-will.^[98]

Brewer implemented changes to the procurement system.^[99] Brewer also implemented changes to the state retirement plan, ending the retirement plan for elected officials, increasing the requirements to qualify for state retirement, and established Alternate Contribution Rate for employees that return to work.^[100]

Brewer vetoed a bill on April 18, 2011, that would have required anyone running for president to have proof of U.S. citizenship.^[101]

Brewer announced the closure of the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections in January 2010 so its $67 million budget could be saved.^[102] Juvenile inmates would instead be sent to facilities operated by the counties.^[103] She argued that this would allow the inmates to be closer to their homes.^[104] The decision was opposed by most county governments and sheriffs, and it was unpopular among the general public. Following backlash, she rescheduled the closure date from July 2010 to July 2011 and appointed a committee to create a plan for disbanding the department, providing it to her in November 2010. She canceled her plan to close the department in December 2010 without providing a reason for her change of position.^[105]

Brewer criticized the Obama administration's immigration policy as "backdoor amnesty".^[106] She argued that Arizona's immigration policy had to correct the federal government's policy because it "refused to fix" what she described as a crisis.^[33]

On June 27, 2010, Brewer appeared on Sunday Square Off, broadcast on KPNX-TV. While speaking on the subject of crime related to illegal immigration, she said that "law enforcement agencies have found bodies in the desert either buried or just lying out there that have been beheaded", a claim that has been disputed.^{[107][108][109]} Brewer later said that she "misspoke".^[110]

On July 11, 2010, Brewer announced that $10 million given to her state by the federal government, most of which was intended to go to education, would instead go to enforcing border security.^[111]

Brewer signed Arizona SB 1070 into law in 2010, causing national controversy. The bill made it a crime for non-citizens to be in Arizona without carrying paperwork that proves legal immigration or residency status. It also allowed law enforcement to ask about immigration status and required them to arrest anyone found to be in the United States illegally. Other provisions included restrictions on hiring undocumented immigrants and legalization of lawsuits against government agencies that prevent enforcement of immigration law.^[20]

Civil rights groups opposed the bill out of fear that it would encourage racial profiling of Hispanic citizens.^[20] In response, Brewer created a program to train law enforcement when to ask about immigration status.^[112] When the Obama administration challenged SB 1070 in court, Brewer defended the law. Additionally, she repeatedly urged President Barack Obama and Congress to utilize the National Guard, Border Patrol agents and technology to secure the southern border.^[113] Brewer justified the policy by saying there were drug traffickers among undocumented immigrants.^[17] She disagreed with critics who said it would cause racial profiling.^[114]

While SB 1070 received national attention, Brewer signed several more immigration bills into law. These included bills that removed state recognition of consular cards as valid identification, retroactively applied a ban on undocumented immigrants claiming punitive damages in civil trials, made forgery a felony if it was done to establish a smuggling drop house, required that the state release children if the federal government issued a detainer, and required proof of legal status to obtain state identification.^[39]

In addition to signing Arizona SB 1070, she has prohibited state and local governments from giving any public benefits to illegal aliens and made it a misdemeanor for a state or local government official to fail to report immigration law violations discovered while administering a public benefit or service. Brewer has also supported efforts to re-deploy the Arizona National Guard along the southern Arizona border, in an attempt to provide increased border security.^[115] Brewer's immigration policy made her incredibly popular within the Republican Party.^[17]

Brewer opposed Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy that granted rights to non-citizens who arrived in the United States as children, and she issued an executive order saying that DACA recipients could not be issued drivers licenses in Arizona.^[116]

Brewer supported gun rights as governor.^[2][18] She signed the Firearms Freedom Act that exempted firearms and ammunition sold in Arizona from federal regulations if they were produced within the state.^[18] She prohibited local governments from maintaining a list of citizens who possess a firearm or enacting firearm regulations that are more stringent than state law,^[117] and made it easier to claim self-defense in a shooting.^[118] Early in her tenure, Brewer abolished a requirement for permits to concealed carry.^[14][34]

Brewer passed a law that allowed concealed carry in places that serve alcohol unless it displayed a no weapons sign.^[34] Brewer also signed SB 1168, a measure that bans property owners from prohibiting the storage of firearms in locked vehicles parked on their lots.^[119] She signed SB 1243, which allows a person who is threatened to announce that they are armed, or display or place their hand on their firearm before the use of deadly force.^[120]

Brewer is a member and supporter of the National Rifle Association, as well as the Arizona Rifle and Pistol Association.^[121] Brewer vetoed a bill on April 18, 2011, that would have allowed guns on college campuses.^[101]

In 2012, Brewer vetoed a bill legalizing the possession of a firearm in public buildings.^[46]

Under Brewer, Arizona stepped up its efforts to decrease forest fire risk by thinning approximately 29,000 forested acres on state land.^[122]

Under Brewer's direction, the State Land Department negotiated a $200 million, 60.9 mile long high pressure natural gas pipeline beginning west of the Tucson Mountain Park and continuing south along State Highway 286 to the United States border with Mexico near Sasabe, Arizona, largely traveling through state trust land.^[123]

Brewer directed the Arizona Department of Water Resources to develop Arizona's Next Century: A Strategic Vision for Water Supply Sustainability, a document outlining Arizona's water use plan.^[124]

Brewer issued Executive Order 2013–02 to develop land and natural resources management strategies for sustainable economic growth and establishing the National Resources Review Council (NRRC).^[125] The NRRC prepared an Interim Report containing recommendations from five subcommittees (Clearinghouse, Engagement and Partnering, GIS, Mitigation and Conservation Banking and Planning).

In October 2014, Brewer announced the creation of the Arizona Collaboratory for Advanced Energy Solutions (AZ CAES), which was a partnership of industry, Arizona universities, government, non-profits and national laboratories designed to increase Arizona's competitive advantage in securing public funding, private funding and sponsored energy research at the three state universities.^[126]

Brewer adopted a state energy plan and established energy goals for Arizona in 2014.^[127] The plan was designed to increase solar development; promote energy education and energy sector apprenticeship and job training opportunities; reduce energy use in state buildings through the creation of $1.1 million revolving loan fund for energy efficiency projects; and create a State Energy Advisory Board to address energy issues on an annual basis.^[128]

Due to a change in Mexican law opening up energy markets between the United States and Mexico, a bi-national energy assessment was completed. Presented to Brewer and Sonora Governor Padres, both signed a Declaration of Cooperation between the two states to evaluate on an ongoing basis viable energy exchange opportunities.^[129] The governor's office led a 19-member task force and held meetings in Hermosillo, Sonora and Nogales, Arizona to complete this assessment. The Task Force formed international contacts for future bi-national electricity transmission projects.

As governor, Brewer pushed for keeping Arizona military bases open.^[130] She also granted in-state student status for the purposes of tuition at any Arizona public university or community college to any person honorably discharged from the US Armed Forces. Additionally, she allowed children of active duty military parents to qualify for Empowerment Scholarship Accounts.^[131] She also extended professional licensing to include military experience.^[132]

In 2012, Brewer vetoed a resolution that Arizona would fight any invading United Nations forces.^[46]

During Brewer's time as governor, she filled a number of vacancies in the courts. She appointed three State Supreme Court judges, Ann Timmer, John Pelander, and Robert M. Brutinel, all Republicans. She also appointed a number of Superior and Appellate Court judges. She was criticized for promoting judges primarily from the Republican Party.^[133]

Brewer supported Arizona Proposition 107, which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman.^[134] This 2006 referendum, which would have prevented both same-sex marriage and civil unions in the state, did not pass.

Brewer signed a law repealing legislation put into place by former governor Janet Napolitano, which had granted domestic partners of state employees the ability to be considered as "dependents", similar to the way married spouses are handled.^[135] According to an editorial in the Arizona Daily Star on October 13, 2009, the Department of Administration in Arizona stated that "about 800 state employees are affected and that the cost to insure domestic partners is about $3 million of the $625 million the state spends on benefits".^[136] However, the state was giving those employees another year of coverage, due to legal necessity: "A legal review determined existing contracts with state employees will be honored."^[136]

On February 26, 2014, Brewer vetoed Arizona SB 1062 (a bill allowing business owners to refuse services to homosexuals) that was passed by the state legislature.^[137]

Brewer received 2014/15 Heritage Award from the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry.^[138]

Immigration subsided as the top political issue in Arizona as Brewer's term ended. Her successor, Republican Doug Ducey, reversed her policy on banning drivers licenses for DACA recipients in 2019.^[139]

Brewer voiced support for Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign.^[19] Her governorship has since been described as a precursor of Trump's presidency.^[140][19] Their immigration policies both shifted discourse toward treating illegal immigration as an emergency, appealing to public fear as a justification for more aggressive responses.^[140] Both shared an anti-establishment approach that rebutted the leadership of the Republican Party and rejected its platform of small government.^[19]

Brewer endorsed Trump in February 2016, praising his views on immigration:

Mr. Trump will secure our borders, defend our workers and protect our sovereignty. Mr. Trump will stand for our law enforcement, our police and our immigration officers. Mr. Trump will actually enforce the rule of law.^[141]

There was speculation of Brewer being Trump's vice-presidential running mate in the 2016 United States presidential election,^[142][143] but ultimately Mike Pence was selected. She was also considered for a role in the Trump administration, specifically United States Secretary of the Interior.^[144][145] In late March 2017, during a phone interview, Brewer expressed opposition to President Trump's American Health Care Act: "This would devastate the most vulnerable, this would devastate rural hospitals, they will probably close down and those jobs would be lost".^[146]

In the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election, Brewer advised Republican nominee Kari Lake to stop discussing debunked claims of voter fraud in the 2020 United States presidential election and focus more on debating policy.^[147]

• List of female secretaries of state in the United States

• Barone, Michael; McCutcheon, Chuck (2013). The Almanac of American Politics 2014. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9781299784635.
• Biggers, Jeff (2012). State Out of the Union: Arizona and the Final Showdown Over the American Dream. PublicAffairs. ISBN 978-1-56858-702-8.
• Dvorak, William (2011). "Jan Brewer". In Thompson, Clifford (ed.). Current Biography Yearbook 2011. H. W. Wilson Company. pp. 92–95. ISBN 978-0-8242-1121-9.
• Slaven, Mike (2022). Securing Borders, Securing Power: The Rise and Decline of Arizona's Border Politics. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-20376-0.
• Taylor, Melanie; Decker, Scott; Katz, Charles (2015). "Statewide Responses to a Proposed Realignment of Juvenile Corrections in Arizona". Criminal Justice Review. 40 (4): 488–504. doi:10.1177/0734016815604023. ISSN 0734-0168.

• Appearances on C-SPAN

Arizona House of Representatives
Preceded by Jane Dee Hull	Member of the Arizona House of Representatives from the 19th district 1983–1987	Succeeded by Don Kenney
Arizona Senate
Preceded by William Davis	Member of the Arizona Senate from the 19th district 1987–1997	Succeeded by Scott Bundgaard
Political offices
Preceded by Ed King	Chair of the Board of Supervisors of Maricopa County 2001–2003	Succeeded by Max Wilson
Preceded by Betsey Bayless	Secretary of State of Arizona 2003–2009	Succeeded by Ken Bennett
Preceded by Janet Napolitano	Governor of Arizona 2009–2015	Succeeded by Doug Ducey
Party political offices
Preceded by Len Munsil	Republican nominee for Governor of Arizona 2010	Succeeded by Doug Ducey
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by Fife Symington as Former Governor	Order of precedence of the United States	Succeeded by Doug Ducey as Former Governor