Thought the weekend would cool off opposition to Georgia's HB 757, a bill that sanctions discrimination based on religion? Think again.
Bernie Marcus, the co-founder of Georgia-based Home Depot, stated in an opinion piece in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday that this discriminatory bill could do incredible harm to Georgia's recovering economy.
"...Perhaps the biggest economic consequence of the bill is that it would cause major Georgia companies to limit or reduce their investment in the state," Marcus said. "This would reduce economic growth, good jobs, and tax revenue in the state." He then drew parallels to Indiana, which passed its own "religious freedom" bill in 2015. Hoosiers found that both companies and tourists voting against the law with their wallets, causing the state to lose $60 million in income.
Others who have come out against the bill in recent days include U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson and the Gainsville Times Editorial Board. These voices join hundreds of others the tremendous backlash that must have Georgia legislators rethinking recent decisions.