Georgia lawmakers passed an amendment that would strip Delta Airlines of a tax break on jet fuel after the company publicly excoriated the state’s newly enacted election integrity law.
Republicans in the Georgia House of Representatives narrowly passed an amendment that would revoke the tax break, costing the Atlanta-based Delta tens of millions of dollars per year, according to Forbes.
HR 1 WOULD PUT THE WASHINGTON SWAMP IN CHARGE OF ELECTIONS
“They like our public policy when we’re doing things that benefit them,” state House Speaker David Ralston said about the move. “You don’t feed a dog that bites your hand. You got to keep that in mind sometimes.”
The measure was not brought up for a final vote in the Senate, where lawmakers are reportedly less interested in punishing Delta.
The move to punish Delta comes the same week the company’s CEO Ed Bastian sent a memo to employees slamming Georgia’s election integrity legislation as “unacceptable.”
“I need to make it crystal clear that the final bill is unacceptable and does not match Delta’s values,” Bastian told his employees. “After having time to now fully understand all that is in the bill, coupled with discussions with leaders and employees in the Black community, it’s evident that the bill includes provisions that will make it harder for many underrepresented voters, particularly Black voters, to exercise their constitutional right to elect their representatives. That is wrong.”
Democrats have echoed Bastian’s concern about minorities being prevented from voting by the law, and President Joe Biden said that the legislation would slash voting hours in a claim that was given “Four Pinocchios” from the Washington Post.
Republicans, including Georgia Gov. Brain Kemp, who signed the bill into law, insist the bill is meant to prevent voter fraud.
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“Today’s statement by Delta CEO Ed Bastian stands in stark contrast to our conversations with the company, ignores the content of the new law, and unfortunately continues to spread the same false attacks being repeated by partisan activists,” Kemp said in a statement. “Mr. Bastian should compare voting laws in Georgia — which include no-excuse absentee balloting, online voter registration, 17 days of early voting with an additional two optional Sundays, and automatic voter registration when obtaining a driver’s license — with other states Delta Airlines operates in.”
