The Los Angeles Times / By
Delta Air Lines has denounced legislation that would permit businesses to cite religion in refusing to serve gays, saying proposals in Georgia and Arizona would cause “significant harm” and “result in job losses.”
The company, which is Atlanta’s largest employer and one of the biggest private companies in Georgia, joins the likes of Apple, American Airlines and Marriott in opposing such measures.
Arizonans are awaiting Gov. Jan Brewer’s decision on whether to sign or veto legislation that would bolster business owners’ rights to cite their religion as a defense in discrimination lawsuits. Civil rights group have criticized SB 1062 for protecting businesses that refuse to serve gays and lesbians. Brewer has until Friday to decide.
Similar measures are working their way through the Georgia Legislature. A committee hearing on one of the bills, HB 1023, was scheduled for Tuesday but the hearing was postponed until Wednesday, then canceled altogether, according to gay rights group Georgia Equality. The other measure, SB 377, is awaiting a vote before the full Senate and must pass the chamber by Monday to stay alive.
The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, which said it supported the federal law, criticized HB 1023 for requiring an individual to face a “burden” rather than a “substantial burden.” SB 377 uses the tougher “substantial burden” standard.
