Gov. Mike Pence (R-IN)
It's getting hard to keep track of everyone who's come out against Indiana's license-to-discriminate law, which is probably why Gov. Mike Pence
sounded so defensive at his press conference Tuesday morning. But in the spirit of trying to keep track:
- The raging hippies over at NASCAR, who hold a somewhat famous race in Indiana, aren't happy:
"We will not embrace nor participate in exclusion or intolerance," said NASCAR, which is based in Florida and North Carolina. "We are committed to diversity and inclusion within our sport and therefore will continue to welcome all competitors and fans at our events in the state of Indiana and anywhere else we race."
- Subaru, which has an assembly plant in Indiana and had previously said it had a policy against commenting on legislation, decided to comment:
"We at Subaru do not agree with any legislation that allows for discrimination, or any behavior or act that promotes any form of discrimination," said Michael McHale, director of corporate communications for Subaru of America. "Furthermore, we do not allow discrimination in our own operations, including our operations in the state of Indiana. We will certainly continue to take the issue of non-discrimination into consideration as part of our decision-making processes."
- Gov. Andrew Cuomo banned nonessential state-funded travel from New York to Indiana, joining the governors of Connecticut and Washington in such bans.
- Comedian and Parks and Rec star Nick Offerman will do a scheduled show in Indianapolis on Wednesday, but he's donating the proceeds to the Human Rights Campaign—and he's cancelling a show scheduled for this summer.
- USC athletic director Pat Haden:
I am the proud father of a gay son. In his honor, I will not be attending the CFP committee meeting in Indy this week. #EmbraceDiversity
— @ADHadenUSC
That's in addition to the long list of other companies and organizations that have expressed opposition. Meanwhile, AFSCME and Salesforce have canceled conferences scheduled to be held in Indiana, Wilco has canceled a concert, and Angie's List has halted plans for an expansion. The Indiana blowback is also creating pressure against similar bills in other states. In Arkansas, the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce issued a statement saying that:
While we believe that HB 1228 seeks to protect the religious freedoms of all Arkansans, it can be interpreted to provide religious protection for Arkansans who choose to discriminate against other Arkansans. This is bad for business and bad for Arkansas. Unless and until this issue is clarified by amendment in HB 1228, the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce is against the bill.
And North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory says
he won't sign his state's version of the law.
On the other hand, the Republican presidential candidates are standing solidly behind Mike Pence and the cause of discrimination. So Pence has that going for him, as will Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson should he go where Pence has gone before him.
4:57 PM PT (Barbara Morrill):
5:50 PM PT: Delta Faucet, a manufacturer headquartered in Indiana, issued a statement of opposition:
"Delta Faucet does not support discriminatory legislation, and we are deeply concerned it will hurt the broader Indiana business community and compromise our ability to recruit, hire and retain employees as we strive to grow. We urge Governor Pence and the Legislature to amend or repeal this divisive legislation to ensure that Indiana continues to be a welcoming place for all to live, work and play."
