Republican lawmakers hit back at Delta Airlines on Wednesday after the company’s CEO criticized a new elections bill that critics say is a modern day version of Jim Crow.
On a 97-73 vote, the Georgia state House passed a bill to repeal a tax break on jet fuel, aimed squarely at one of the state’s largest companies and the largest operator of flights into and out of Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, according to The Hill.
In a memo Wednesday, Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian wrote, “I need to make it crystal clear that the final bill is unacceptable and does not match Delta’s values.”
“The entire rationale for this bill was based on a lie: that there was widespread voter fraud in Georgia in the 2020 elections,” Bastian added. “This is simply not true. Unfortunately, that excuse is being used in states across the nation that are attempting to pass similar legislation to restrict voting rights.”
House Speaker David Ralston (R) acknowledged early Thursday morning that the proposal was a retaliation.
“They like our public policy when we’re doing things that benefit them, and they reap the rewards of those benefits and then turn around and do this,” Ralston said according to Georgia Public Broadcasting. “As all of you know, I can’t resist a country boy line or two, you don’t feed a dog that bites your hand. You’ve got to keep that in mind.”
The bill failed in the state Senate.
Other business leaders including the CEO of Coca-Cola James Quincey criticized the new law: “Let me be crystal clear and unequivocal, this legislation is unacceptable, it is a step backward and it does not promote principles we have stood for in Georgia, around broad access to voting, around voter convenience, about ensuring election integrity, and this is frankly just a step backwards,” he said.
Apple CEO Tim Cook also condemned the law on Thursday, telling Axios: “The right to vote is fundamental in a democracy. American history is the story of expanding the right to vote to all citizens, and Black people, in particular, have had to march, struggle and even give their lives for more than a century to defend that right.”
In response to criticisms from corporate leaders Gov. Kemp said they should stay out of politics.
“These business owners don’t live here and don’t know what our laws are,” Kemp told CNBC. “Quite honestly, our laws aren’t as restrictive as the states where a lot of these businesses are residing. Perhaps they should focus on their own states.”
