Page 24 - ARUBA TODAY

Tuesday 3 January 2017 BUSINESS
A24

In red states, businesses gearing up to fight bathroom bills

JONATHAN MATTISE increase in statehouse pro- Now, as lawmakers begin
Associated Press posals limiting LGBT protec- their work this winter, some
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — tions in 2017. Republicans are heeding
Sean Henry, the president Frank Cannon, president business groups’ warnings
of Tennessee’s NHL team, of the socially conservative to steer clear of the laws,
is stunned he even has to American Principles Proj- even in some of Trump’s
explain why he hopes state ect, encouraged Republi- more favorable turf.
legislators will snub bills cans to push back against Kentucky looks on paper
similar to North Carolina’s those trying to cast North like a state likely to em-
transgender bathroom Carolina’s bathroom bill brace a law like North
law, which has consumed as a financial liability. He Carolina’s: the GOP won
that state for months and pointed to a GOP wave control of both legislative
scared off businesses led by President-elect Don- chambers in November for
and sporting events. ald Trump as proof that the the first time in a century,
The Nashville Predators public still embraces social and Republican Gov. Matt
team is among about 300 conservatism. Bevin joined a lawsuit this
companies, ranging from “Republicans must keep year challenging the feder-
health-care giant HCA to - In this March 24, 2016, file photo, people protest outside the fighting because, while the al government’s directive
North Carolina Executive Mansion in Raleigh, N.C. Tennessee
FedEx, joining under the businesses have banded together to try to convince their state left was able to successfully that public schools allow
moniker Tennessee Thrives legislators to snub laws similar to the infamous bathroom bill define HB2 as an econom- students to use the bath-
to oppose bathroom and in North Carolina, which has consumed that state’s politics for ic issue and convince elite room of their gender iden-
religious objection bills, months and scared off businesses and sporting events. corporations and celebri- tity. Yet Bevin, a staunch
which they consider dis- Associated Press ties to punish the state of social conservative, has
criminatory and bad for crimination groups,” Henry ligious objections to same- North Carolina for protect- dismissed calls for a bath-
business. Companies in said. “I think the real ques- sex unions. ing the privacy of young room bill.
other GOP-led states have tion is: who hasn’t joined?” Social progressives hoping girls, their overreach clearly “Why would we?” he
had success voicing oppo- After the United States Su- to hold back that tide ap- backfired in the presidential said. “Is there anyone you
sition under similar names: preme Court legalized pealed to citizens’ sense race in a big way,” he said. know in Kentucky who has
Georgia Prospers, Oppor- same-sex marriage in 2015, of equality and people’s North Carolina’s law omits trouble going to the bath-
tunity West Virginia, Missouri social conservatives turned pocketbooks. LGBT people from state an- room? The last thing we
Competes. to statehouses, seeking Despite the political and ti-discrimination protections need is more government
“I honestly cannot believe state laws to let businesses, economic repercussions and orders transgender rules. I’m cutting red tape,
that in 2016 I’m actually pastors and government that erupted in North Car- people to use bathrooms not creating it.”
asked a question as to why refuse services to LGBT olina, the American Civil in schools and government This spring, Georgia’s legis-
I would support anti-dis- people based on their re- Liberties Union expects an buildings that align with the lature passed a bill aimed
sex on their birth certificate. at shielding religious peo-
Businesses, conventions ple who deny services be-
and sports events have cause of a moral objec-
avoided North Carolina in tion. Within days, Coca-
protest, and Republican Cola and other big-name
Gov. Pat McCrory lost his Georgia companies joined
re-election under heavy prominent Hollywood fig-
criticism for signing the law. ures calling for a veto.