Icon (Close Menu)

Logout

State Chamber Urges Legislature to Maintain Arkansas’ ‘Business-Friendly’ Reputation

2 min read

The Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas on Tuesday asked legislative leaders to work “to prevent the mischaracterization of Arkansas’s people and their attitudes towards others.”

The statement came as the Arkansas House voted to approve HB1228a religious-freedom bill that has drawn criticism from opponents who say it opens the door to discrimination against gays and lesbians.

The statement did not call for a veto of the bill, but it urged legislators to work together to maintain the state’s “reputation as a business-friendly place where success is an opportunity available to all.”

“Arkansas is a state filled with accepting, hospitable people and forward-thinking businesses,” the statement said. “The current controversy surrounding HB1228 has caused some across the country, and within our state, to question this reality.”

Earlier Tuesday, the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce voiced its opposition to the bill, 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.

Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola and Gretchen Hall, president and CEO of the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau, also urged Gov. Asa Hutchinson to veto the bill. Hutchinson said previously that he would sign it.

The Arkansas Chamber of Commerce’s Full Statement on HB1228

“As the statewide voice of business, the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas urges Governor Hutchinson and the Arkansas Legislature to take timely and proactive steps to ensure that Arkansas maintains its rightful and hard-earned reputation as a business-friendly place where success is an opportunity available to all.

“We urge Legislative leaders to pause and carefully consider any and all avenues available to prevent the mischaracterization of Arkansas’s people and their attitudes towards others. We are ready and willing to do all we can to assist in this serious effort.”

Send this to a friend