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MAR 23 2016 Marvel, Disney Threaten Film Boycott Over Georgia Bill LOS ANGELES — The Walt Disney Co. and Marvel Studios stated their opposition to a Georgia "religious liberty" bill pending before Gov. Nathan Deal, saying that they will take their business elsewhere "should any legislation allowing discriminatory practices be signed into state law." With generous tax incentives, Georgia has become a production hub, with Marvel currently shooting "Guardians of the Galaxy 2" at Pinewood Studios outside Atlanta. "Captain America: Civil War" shot there last summer. "Disney and Marvel are inclusive companies, and although we have had great experiences filming...

On Wednesday night the Georgia legislature introduced new language to its religious freedom bill and passed the bill in mere hours. Haste makes waste. This new language significantly waters down a religious freedom bill that had real force even though it was, as we pointed out three weeks ago, already lacking in certain respects.

Georgia is the latest to enter the national mayhem surrounding a state-sponsored religious freedom bill.  Its also the latest group to be the target of media obfuscation.  Several versions of #HB757, The Religious Freedom Act have been debated by the legislature of Georgia.  The most memorable was the February version that allowed businesses to cite their faith as a reason not to conduct business with lifestyles that conflict with their values..  The was a far-right version that conflated our for-profit roles in commerce with projecting our religious beliefs on our customers and clients.  If sinners are banned from commerce, then...

Disney has made big movies like the upcoming Captain America: Civil War in Georgia, and with the state’s lucrative tax incentives likely has planned to make more – but maybe not now. “Disney and Marvel are inclusive companies, and although we have had great experiences filming in Georgia, we will plan to take our business elsewhere should any legislation allowing discriminatory practices be signed into state law,” said a Disney spokesman today over a bill that the Georgia legislature has passed that would permit faith-based groups and organizations to discriminate based on sexuality.

UPDATE (3/22 at 9:49 p.m.): The following day, University President James W. Wagner, as well as representatives from College Council (CC) and Student Government Association (SGA) sent emails to the Emory community to address student concerns and responses. In his University-wide email, Wagner wrote that he intends to implement “immediate refinements to certain policy and procedural deficiencies, regular and structured opportunities for difficult dialogues, a formal process to institutionalize identification, review and [the] addressing of social justice opportunities and issues and a commitment to an annual retreat to renew our efforts.” Wagner added in his email that the previous day’s...

Hey, I am a student at Emory and yesterday, March 21st, someone had written Trump in chalk hundreds of times on campus. Some people apparently were OFFENDED that someone wrote Trump 2016 in CHALK so these 50 people were protesting in the DUC…absolutely ridiculous. Today the president sent this email. Really hoped shit like this wouldn’t happen here but this is why nobody respects college students I guess. *snip* Dear Emory Community,Yesterday I received a visit from 40 to 50 student protesters upset by the unexpected chalkings on campus sidewalks and some buildings yesterday morning, in this case referencing Donald...

ATLANTA — The Georgia General Assembly’s approval of a proposal to strengthen legal protections for opponents of same-sex marriage has set in motion a high-stakes showdown that has drawn some of the nation’s most influential companies into a battle between gay rights activists and religious conservatives. The bill, which lawmakers approved on Wednesday, now faces the scrutiny of Gov. Nathan Deal, a Republican. But it is clear that companies and sports organizations, including Apple, Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines and the National Football League, will have a significant effect on public debate and the governor’s decision to sign or veto the...

The NFL has issued a warning to Georgia over that state legislature’s advance of a so-called “religious-freedom” bill that protects same-sex marriage opponents from discrimination lawsuits, saying the measure, if approved into law, could impact where future championship games are played. “NFL policies emphasize tolerance and inclusiveness and prohibit discrimination based on age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other improper standard,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said, CBS News reported. “Whether the laws and regulations of a state and local community are consistent with these policies would be one of many factors NFL owners may use to evaluate potential...

Sen. Johnny Isakson didn’t outright call on Gov. Nathan Deal to veto the controversial “religious liberty” legislation waiting on his desk. But the two-term Georgia Republican left little to the imagination in remarks Monday criticizing the measure. “I’ve said at the beginning of the session that I think it’s a national issue. It ought to be a seamless policy. Any time you have state-by-state policies, you run the risk of having conflicts,” he said of House Bill 757.

A “power grab” by the Environmental Protection Agency threatens to crash America’s amateur car-racing industry without putting so much as a dent in climate change, warns the chairman of the House Space, Science and Technology Committee. The EPA’s move to regulate emissions on non-road racing vehicles contradicted agency administrator Gina McCarthy’s earlier testimony that the EPA did not have authority over non-road race cars and motorcycles. EPA officials said they are “clarifying” emissions law, yet the Clean Air Act has long exempted non-road vehicles used in competition. The agency has not made a similar move against NASCAR or other professional...

The NFL came out against a proposed religious exemptions bill in Georgia Friday, saying the deal could have an effect on the Super Bowl selection process for 2019 and 2020. Atlanta is one of the finalists for the next two league title games to be awarded, along with New Orleans, Miami and Tampa. The city is considered a clear favorite because of its new retractable-roof stadium that is set to open next year. However, the religious exemptions bill could change all of that. [Snip] This bill would protect pastors from performing same-sex marriages and give "faith-based" organizations permission to deny...

If Georgia chooses to turn the “religious liberty” bill into law, be prepared: Atlanta may not get a Super Bowl. That was the suggestion from the NFL on Friday when the league released a statement in response to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s question about whether the league had any position on Georgia House Bill 757. The statement from league spokesman Brian McCarthy reads, “NFL policies emphasize tolerance and inclusiveness, and prohibit discrimination based on age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other improper standard. Whether the laws and regulations of a state and local community are consistent with these policies...

Former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich mocks and criticizes desperate Republicans demanding a brokered convention to stop GOP frontrunner Donald Trump, saying they will throw the election to Hillary Clinton.

The Georgia Legislature over the course of a few hours Wednesday unveiled changes to a controversial 'religious liberty" bill and gave it final passage, setting off a collision with corporate leaders and gay rights advocates over charges it would legalize discrimination in Georgia. House Bill 757 now goes to Gov. Nathan Deal for his signature to become law, a culmination of two years of debate, attacks, counter-attacks and emotional speeches from both supporters and opponents. When introduced early this year, the bill originally promised pastors forced to perform a same-sex wedding ceremony. The Senate, however, added language last month that...

The Washington political establishment has hit the panic button. Not because they are afraid of any one individual or candidate, but because they are afraid of losing their own political power. This town is filled with well-intentioned people who believe they are doing the right thing, but far too many have lost their way after years in Washington. Politicians pay more attention to special interests groups and powerful lobbyists writing checks to their next campaign, than listening to the people back home who sent them here in the first place. A recent survey of likely Republican primary voters showed that...

The Washington political establishment has hit the panic button. Not because they are afraid of any one individual or candidate, but because they are afraid of losing their own political power. The Washington political establishment has hit the panic button. This town is filled with well-intentioned people who believe they are doing the right thing, but far too many have lost their way after years in Washington. Politicians pay more attention to special interests groups and powerful lobbyists writing checks to their next campaign, than listening to the people back home who sent them here in the first place. This...

The decision by the owner of a small insurance company to require his employees to carry firearms at the office has sparked a debate: Would having a gun on the job make you safer, or is it inviting violence into the workplace? Lance Toland said his three offices, based at small airports in Georgia, haven’t had problems with crime but “anyone can slip in these days if they want to. I don’t have a social agenda here. I have a safety agenda.”

he Georgia campus carry bill is moving forward.  On February 22, the House passed HB859 113 to 59.  The bill has a number of compromises.  It bans guns at athletic events, which would likely pass Constitutional muster.  It also retains a ban on guns in housing, including the privately owned housing of fraternity and sorority houses.  On 11 March, the Senate passed HB859 37 to 17.  From wsbtv.com: Georgia’s state Senate voted to approve a bill allowing licensed gun owners to carry concealed weapons on public college campuses. The proposal backed by the National Rifle Association won support from...

Three men have been charged in Georgia after one of them allegedly pulled out a gun and threatened a homeowner over his pro-Donald Trump sign. The homeowner, 42-year-old David Grant, said he posted the Trump for President sign in his yard on Woodland Drive in Dalton to show his support for his favorite presidential candidate. “I’m behind Donald Trump. You mess with Trump, you mess with us,” he told the NBC News-affiliated WRCB. But on Tuesday, the sign sparked an armed standoff that sent three men to jail. Mr. Grant said he was outside when he saw the trio walking...

The Supreme Court on Monday overturned an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that said the state should not recognize a lesbian mother’s adoption of three children in neighboring Georgia. The court overturned the decision without scheduling the case for oral arguments and full briefing. It said the Alabama high court’s decision ignored long-standing precedent that state courts must recognize legitimate rulings by courts in other states. The justices already had granted a stay request from one of the mothers, identified in court papers as V.L. The Alabama high court said Georgia courts violated their own state laws in granting the adoptions...