Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said today he would veto a measure derided by corporations as discriminatory toward the LGBT community in the Peachtree State.
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A chorus of major businesses, sparked by Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, have come out against the bill, which was pitched by its legislative proponents as a bid to protect religious freedom. Disney, Unilever and Netflix were among companies that threatened to pull the plug on Georgia business. The NFL said the law could threaten Atlanta's chances of winning an upcoming Super Bowl.
The outcry is reminiscent of a battle in Indiana last year, where Gov. Mike Pence signed a similar bill and opened the state to fierce criticism. Indiana eventually hired Porter Novelli to help undo the damage to its economic development and tourism prospects.
Deal said March 28 he was not responding to campaigns from either side of the bill, but wanted to keep Georgia a "welcoming state ... full of loving, kind and generous people." He said versions of the bill "contained language that could give rise to state-sanctioned discrimination."
Nextflix, which has filmed projects in the state over the past year and slated two more, said it would move production to another state if the law was passed.
"We strongly oppose the discriminatory language and intent of Georgia's pending religious liberty bill, which clearly violates the values and principles of inclusion and the ability of all people to live and work free from discrimination," Time Warner said in a statement.
"We would be disappointed to see our pipeline of production end at the Georgia border because of this legislation," said the film producer Amblin Partners.
At least one legislator who supported the bill said he would work to override the governor's veto.
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