Republican Gov. 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 following its passage in the state Legislature. But a public outcry that included several protests, corporate leaders, and a backlash over a similar law in Indiana led Hutchinson to back down. The governor said he has asked lawmakers to revise the measure.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson: “I asked that changes be made in the legislation. And I’ve asked that 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, which is getting this legislation right, and it’s also about communicating to the world and to our neighboring states that we’re a state that recognizes the diversity of the workforce, the need for nondiscrimination, and that we want to accomplish that.”

Hutchinson said his own son had signed a petition asking him to veto the law. The governor called it a generational divide. Also, Wal-Mart, the largest company in the world, has come out against the law. In a rally at the State Capitol, Chad Griffin of the Human Rights Campaign said activists’ work is not finished.

Chad Griffin: “Our work is not finished, and we are not at the end of this road, until all Arkansans, all citizens of this state are treated equally under the law and are provided the protections that should be guaranteed, that LGBT folks are protected from discrimination in public accommodations and workplace and all the other places, that we should be protected as citizens of this state and of this country.”

Hutchinson’s reversal comes as Indiana lawmakers have drafted new legislation to “correct” their own version of the anti-LGBT “religious freedom” law. According to The Indianapolis Star, the measure would make clear it “cannot be used as a legal defense to discriminate against residents based on their sexual orientation.” But it still would exempt churches and nonprofits, and would also not include language making LGBT people a protected class.