Far-Right GA-Gov Primary Could Threaten Jobs

“Religious Freedom” Letter Signed By All GOP Candidates, Hurting Chances of Courting Amazon 

Georgia Republicans’ flirtation with extreme anti-business “religious freedom” legislation is back in the news.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported on an uncomfortable moment for an Accenture business executive when asked if he would do business in a state with such a law.

The Accenture executive was asked an awkward question as he stood next to Gov. Nathan Deal and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed: Would he be announcing an 800-jobs deal if Georgia had adopted a “religious liberty” bill a year ago?

The executive, Jimmy Etheredge, danced around the issue.

Governor Deal has repeatedly slapped down attempts to pass the law, including a veto in 2016, citing the economic harm it would inflict.

Unfortunately for Georgians, every single Republican running to replace Deal recently signed a pledge voicing their opposition to Deal’s veto and promising to advance the legislation if they’re elected – no matter the economic impact.

It couldn’t come at a worse time. Georgia is currently “pulling out all the stops” in the fight to attract Amazon’s 2^nd headquarters to the state. The possibility of a new governor pushing a radical and discriminatory legislation would certainly be enough to sour the deal:

“Amazon is a company that has a West Coast culture, and it may be more sensitive to social issues than other corporations,” Kennesaw State University economist Roger Tutterow said.

“The GOP’s far-right gubernatorial primary could cost Georgia thousands of jobs and billions in revenue,” said DGA Communications Director Jared Leopold. “Every single Republican running for governor has promised to push through job-killing legislation to satisfy a small group of far-right activists. Georgia deserves a governor who puts the economy and jobs before their special interest social policy agenda.”