“On Wednesday the Georgia House of Representatives passed HB 757, despite widespread opposition from Georgia businesses. Many observers thought the bill would die when the legislative session ended next week, but partisan politics seem to have prevailed over economic common sense.
Promoted as a protection of religious freedoms, the bill actually creates a license to discriminate. It now moves to the desk of Governor Nathan Deal. He should veto it.
I grew up in North Carolina, and went to school in Virginia and in Raleigh-Durham, so I have great respect and appreciation for Southern hospitality. My parents now live outside Atlanta, and whenever I visit, I’m touched by the welcome I receive from their friends and neighbors. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard the phrase “y’all come back now” after settling up the check. Hospitality is one of the South’s greatest and most underrated economic assets, but the fact that states around the region are considering laws like HB 757 undermines the South’s well-deserved reputation for warmth.”