Georgia companies wrote an open letter to the state’s voters Thursday criticizing anti-abortion laws they claim will hurt business.
“Georgia has the opportunity to stand up for women and protect the right to choose – but instead politicians have pushed an extreme six-week ban on abortion that threatens our economy,” the letter read. (RELATED: South Carolina Removes Rape And Incest Exceptions From Abortion Bill)
Georgia currently has a ban on abortions after the sixth week of pregnancy. A federal appeals court ruled in July that a 2019 law could go into effect, following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Center.
The letter pointed to other instances of organizations and companies moving business out of the state in response to conservative laws. The festival Music Midtown left in protest of Georgia’s gun laws, and MLB moved its All-Star game in response to election laws which required an ID to vote absentee.
“This abortion ban is only one part of what threatens our ability to do business,” the companies said.
“Companies now face the choice of moving to or staying in a state where half of their workforce is facing second-class citizenship and may be subject to investigation or prosecution for routine healthcare.”
A state that is anti-women is not pro-business.https://t.co/m5LZvVX8LO
— Dr. Michelle Au (@AuforGA) September 8, 2022
The companies argued that the abortion ban disadvantages them against other states with more liberal abortion laws, as they would be forced to contend with the potential pregnancies of half of their workforce.
“As CEOs, we are now forced to grapple with unprecedented decisions about how to help 50% of our workforce, especially when we have locations in multiple states where some of our workforce has rights and some do not.”
