Will Gov. Abbott and Texas Lawmakers Reject Corporate America Over a Bathroom Bill?

In February, after Houston hosted the Super Bowl, the National Football League warned about the “bathroom bill” being considered in Austin. If the state passed a discriminatory law, a spokesman suggested, it might not land another big event.Gov. Greg Abbott fired back that the league should stay out of politics and not try to dictate state policy.“We don’t care what the NFL thinks,” Abbott told a conservative radio host.Is Abbott, who revived the bathroom bill for next month’s special session, ready to say the same to corporate America?He could start with the 150-plus CEOs who just created a group to promote diversity and inclusion. Last week, they said businesses have the opportunity — and responsibility — to play a meaningful role in this important societal issue. The companies they represent include AT&T, Bank of America, Coca-Cola, IBM, Kellogg, Pepsico, Procter & Gamble, Wal-Mart and plenty more.Abbott could address the 14 top executives who wrote him in late May, urging rejection of the bill. Such laws are bad for employees and bad for business, they wrote, adding that they remain committed to diversity and inclusion. They’re from Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Hewlett Packard, Google, Salesforce and more.  Continue reading...