The leaders of nine Indiana businesses on Monday wrote a letter to the state’s Republican leaders urging them to make sure the new religious freedom law does not allow discrimination.
The chief executive officers of Angie’s List, Anthem, Cummins, Dow AgroSciences, Eli Lilly and Co., Emmis Communications, IU Health, Roche Diagnostics and Salesforce Marketing signed the letter.
They wrote to Gov. Mike Pence (R), as well as the state Senate and House GOP leaders, that they were “deeply concerned” about the impact the new law would have on employees and the state’s reputation, according to a copy of the letter obtained by WTHR-TV.
“All of our companies seek to promote fair, diverse and inclusive workplaces. Our employees must not feel unwelcome in the place where they work and live,” they wrote in the letter. “As leaders in the Indiana business community, we call on you to take immediate action to ensure that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act will not sanction or encourage discrimination against any residents or visitors to our state by anyone.”
The CEOs specifically asked that Republican leaders to make sure that businesses will not be able to discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
“By immediately enacting new legislation that makes it clear that neither the Religious Freedom Restoration Act nor any other Indiana law can be used to justify discrimination based upon sexual orientation or gender identity, our state’s elected leaders can provide the reassurance to the people of our state, our nation and the world that is needed at this critical moment,” they wrote.
Numerous businesses and groups have have criticized Indiana’s new religious freedom law and have announced that they will boycott the state or delay expansion in response to the legislation.
