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Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola Urges Governor to Veto HB1228

3 min read

LITTLE ROCK – Little Rock’s mayor is urging Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson to veto a “religious freedom” bill that critics have said sanctions discrimination against gays and lesbians and that the mayor argues will hurt the state’s economic development efforts.

Mayor Mark Stodola called the bill, HB1228, “simply too divisive” in a letter sent to Hutchinson and released by the city on Tuesday. The proposal prohibits state and local government from infringing on someone’s religious beliefs without a “compelling” interest.

Hutchinson has said he’ll sign the bill into law if it reaches his desk. A final vote was expected as soon as Tuesday afternoon in the state House.

Stodola wrote in the letter (PDF) that he believes the measure would hurt Hutchinson’s push to attract more technology companies to the state. He cited the Little Rock Technology Park, which is working to recruit tech businesses and other startups to the city’s downtown.

“With technology-based companies like Salesforce.com, Apple and Yelp speaking out against this bill in Indiana and elsewhere and with the running of negative ads in newspapers and journals in the Silicon Valley, I am worried that this bill will not allow us to offer an environment that 21st Century businesses and their employees will find welcoming,” Stodola wrote.

Gretchen Hall, president and CEO of the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau, also urged a veto of the bill (PDF).

Chambers of Commerce

Also Tuesday, the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce voiced its opposition to the bill in its current form, saying that HB1228 “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,” the chamber said in a statement.

Across the river, North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Terry Hartwick also opposed the bill.

“If it has anything to do with discrimination, we’re against it,” Hartwick said.

Hartwick noted that earlier this month the city updated its employment policies to prevent discrimination against its employees. The move added equal opportunity protection to employees based on “sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information and marital status.”

The Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Full Statement

“As the principal business organization responsible for fostering the economic growth and development of the Little Rock Region, the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce supports an open and fair workplace and equitable business environment for all. 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.”

(Lance Turner contributed to this article.)

(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten, broadcast or distributed.)

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