Pro-gun Georgia lawmakers score political victory over Delta

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Gov. Deal's chief of staff Chris Riley confer in the senate before the senate went into recess and the Rules Committee stripped the Delta tax cut from legislation. Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Gov. Deal's chief of staff Chris Riley confer in the senate before the senate went into recess and the Rules Committee stripped the Delta tax cut from legislation.

By Associated Press March 2, 2018 5 min read

ATLANTA (AP) – As companies across America take a stand on guns after the Florida school massacre, Delta Air Lines withstood swift political retribution in its home state of Georgia for cutting ties with the National Rifle Association.

Ignoring warnings that the state’s business-friendly image could be tarnished, Republicans in the state legislature voted Thursday to kill a tax break that would have saved Delta millions of dollars in sales tax on jet fuel. The proposal wasn’t controversial until Delta announced last weekend it would no longer offer discounted fares to NRA members.

Senator Michael Williams, R – Cumming, speaks in support of the bill, which stripped a jet-fuel tax break, as the Georgia Senate approved a sweeping tax bill Thursday, March 1, 2018, in Atlanta that punishes Delta Air Lines for cutting business ties with the National Rifle Association. The measure passed the GOP-dominated Senate 44-10, with only Democrats opposed. (Bob Andres/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

Senator P. K. Martin, R – Lawrenceville, presents HB 918, which stripped a jet-fuel tax break. The Georgia Senate approved a sweeping tax bill Thursday, March 1, 2018, in Atlanta that punishes Delta Air Lines for cutting business ties with the National Rifle Association. The measure passed the GOP-dominated Senate 44-10, with only Democrats opposed. (Bob Andres/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

Senator Steve Henson, D – Stone Mountain, speaks Thursday, March 1, 2018, in Atlanta, in opposition to HB 918. He said that while he supported portions of the bill, he thought the state should look to funding programs such as education. The Georgia Senate passed legislation to lower the state income tax rate now that the bill no longer includes a tax break for Delta. The House may take it up as well, giving it final approval and sending it to Gov. Nathan Deal, who has promised to sign it. Deal cleared the way for it Wednesday, agreeing to sign the measure without the Delta break he wanted. The governor said he will seek the Delta tax break in separate legislation (Bob Andres/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)

“I hope they are better at flying airplanes than timing P.R. announcements,” Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, a Republican, said after his chamber gave final approval to a larger tax-cut bill that was stripped of the jet fuel tax exemption.

The Feb. 14 slayings of 17 students and educators in Parkland, Florida, by a gunman armed with an AR-15 assault-style rifle has prompted retailers including Walmart, Kroger and Dick’s Sporting Goods to tighten their gun sales policies. Meanwhile, Delta and other companies including MetLife and Hertz have ended business ties with the NRA.

Delta’s decision triggered a showdown with pro-gun lawmakers in Georgia, where the Atlanta-based airline is one of the largest employers with 33,000 employees statewide. Republican Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, the state Senate’s presiding officer, vowed Monday to stop any tax break that would benefit Delta.