4/10/21 Republicans Retaliate Against Corporations that Criticize Legislation

The words "election integrity" fool no one. The new Georgia voting law, HR202, is meant to claw back the voting power of Black and Brown citizens.

But then something happened that left the crowing Republicans almost disoriented. Major businesses based in the Peach State were willing to condemn the law! You'd think that Black people never drank Coca-Cola, flew Delta Airlines, or watched baseball games. Nor young people, nor progressives.

That corporations might stand up for liberal causes apparently hadn't crossed the minds of the Georgia GOP.

"There are [Republican] legislators who have served in office for 30 years and this is like learning a new language for them,” said Rachel Bovard, senior director of policy at the Conservative Partnership Institute.

The "woke" corporations had broken a longstanding tradition. Republicans have traditionally handed bouquets of tax blessings to corporations, and corporations in turn have served as the deep pockets for Republican elections. Businesses are supposed to march in line with the GOP because of all the many financial benefits they receive.

Reportedly, Republican politicians were furious about the critical remarks. In a remarkable stroke of dubious genius, the Georgia legislature (mostly Republicans, natch) decided to retaliate -- starting with Delta, whose CEO called the law "unacceptable." On the double, the state's House Republicans "voted to rescind a lucrative fuel tax break for the company," according to Politico. The state Senate, however, decided to ignore the bill, and allowed the legislative session to close.

Still, targeting uppity corporations “is the successful playbook for how these fights will be won moving forward,” according to former OMB director Russ Vought, who is deeply involved with the strategy. "[We'll] identify every unique benefit these woke companies get under the law and remove them and require they operate as all other companies in those states have to.”

As if! We doubt that only "woke" companies are getting special benefits. It may be hard to find tax breaks that help only progressive-minded firms.

Apparently, none of these (mostly) men in the state legislature have thought about a potential backlash from corporate America.

Will retaliation work? Or will the strategy become just one more aging clown in the circus of American politics?

Do you have Republican friends or family members who are upset at Major League Baseball for moving its All-Star Game? Are they upset at companies, too?
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/05/republicans-corporations-pay-479110?fbclid=IwAR0dx3QYIkE7QtUuaZv3PlTUGlm9TWzZnj9eKn8ni9cKbm-pzAC1xb0yoUo