UPDATES: Voter suppression and corporate cash in Georgia
Yesterday, Popular Information published an in-depth investigation on the corporate cash behind the Georgia legislators pushing voter suppression legislation. The report revealed that major corporations, including Coca-Cola, UPS, Delta, and AT&T, had backed the sponsors of two bills that would significantly restrict voting in Georgia. A few hours later, a coalition of civil rights groups in Georgia announced a new advocacy campaign based on this research. The coalition, which includes the Georgia NAACP, The New Georgia Project, Black Voters Matter, and Stand Up Georgia, is demanding that corporations headquartered in the state publicly oppose these bills and divest from politicians who are sponsoring them. The group will place ads in newspapers across the state that specifically target Delta, Coca-Cola, Southern Company, UPS, and Aflac. The ads also target the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. Since 2018, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce donated $44,900 to 23 sponsors of the two main voter suppression bills. The New Georgia Project, a member of the coalition, also released a statement about the imperative of corporate action:
The campaign to pressure corporations to speak out against the Georgia bills was covered in the Los Angeles Times. Early Thursday morning, Popular Information's report was picked up by Georgia's largest paper, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC). The AJC elicited responses from several additional corporations, including most of the companies targeted by the civil rights coalition. The paper noted that, at present, "corporate titans aren’t standing in fierce opposition to the restrictive voting proposals" but "not staying silent either." Delta provided a representative response:
Notably, Delta declined to take a position on either of the bills advancing in the Georgia legislature — a middle ground that may not be sustainable. The AJC published similar statements from Aflac, Home Depot, UPS, and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. When you read this newsletter you can count on two things:
In less than 24 hours, our extensive research on the corporate donors behind Georgia's voter suppression bills is already making waves. If you value this work, you can help us expand our capacity by becoming a paid subscriber. It's $6 per month or $50 for a year. In order to stay completely independent we do not accept advertisements. This newsletter only exists because of the support of readers like you. Governor wild cardThe Georgia legislature is controlled by Republicans. And the Governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, is a Republican. But that doesn't mean that Kemp will sign anything that reaches his desk. In an interview with right-wing radio host Hugh Hewitt, Kemp said that he was "supportive of putting the photo ID requirement on absentee ballots by mail and other things, making sure that there’s a fair process to observe" but demurred on other provisions of the House and Senate bill. Kemp said that he would not sign anything that reached his desk. He supports "securing the vote" but his support for any bill would depend on "what’s in it." In a separate interview, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) said, "adding photo ID [requirement for absentee ballots] is one of the few things that leaders in the House, Senate and governor's office have agreed on." All-Star votingThis weekend, the NBA All-Star Game will take place in Atlanta, Georgia. The NBA, in partnership with More Than A Vote, a voting rights organization founded by LeBron James, plans to use the event to fight voter suppression.
One of the All-Star Game's top sponsors, AT&T, is a top donor to the sponsors of Georgia's voter suppression bills. The company has donated almost $100,000 to sponsors of the bills since 2018. |
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The Georgia legislators pushing voter suppression bills are backed by millions in corporate cash
Wednesday, March 3, 2021
A billboard in Atlanta, sponsored by Coca-Cola, honoring the life of Congressman John Lewis (D-GA), a civil rights icon who fought to expand voting rights. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
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