Georgia Republicans Vow to Kill Airline Tax-Cut Bill After Delta Ends N.R.A. Discount
The airline, which had come under growing pressure from its customers
and others to cut ties with the gun group, said its decision “reflects the airline’s neutral status in the current national debate over gun control amid recent school shootings.”
Delta said in a statement on Saturday that it supported the Second Amendment but has refrained from political issues before.
The lieutenant governor in Georgia threatened on Monday to kill a proposed lucrative tax cut for Delta Air Lines
after the company eliminated a discount fare program for the National Rifle Association over the weekend.
Casey Cagle, who presides over the State Senate, immediately put the legislation in jeopardy
and put him at loggerheads with other top state officials, including the governor, who had championed the tax deal.
Other Republicans in the State Legislature also on Monday pulled back their support for the bill,
which would grant a $50 million sales tax exemption on jet fuel, primarily benefiting Delta.
Among the new critics was the House speaker, David Ralston, who said on Monday
that he was disappointed with Delta and wished it had announced the decision before the House approved the tax bill on Thursday.
As the Senate president, Mr. Cagle wields significant influence over legislation
and how it flows through the Senate, where Republicans hold a 37 to 19 majority over Democrats.