Luke Skywalker
Super Moderator
{vb:raw ozzmodz_postquote}:
From left, Renee McLaughlin, senior medical director, Cigna HealthCare; Marisa Richmond, lobbyist for the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition; Chad Griffin, Human Rights Campaign president; Hedy Weinberg, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union; and Chris Sanders, executive director of the Tennessee Equality Project, gathered outside the state Capitol on Wednesday to announce the latest companies joining the opposition to a controversial bathroom bill.(Photo: Joel Ebert / The Tennessean)
NASHVILLE<span style="color: Red;">*</span>—<span style="color: Red;">*</span>While<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Tennessee lawmakers<span style="color: Red;">*</span>on Wednesday deferred taking action<span style="color: Red;">*</span>on a<span style="color: Red;">*</span>contentious<span style="color: Red;">*</span>bill<span style="color: Red;">*</span>that would require students to use the restroom that corresponds with their sex at birth, executives from a multitude<span style="color: Red;">*</span>of companies, including Cigna,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Hilton Hotels, T-Mobile<span style="color: Red;">*</span>and Lyft, joined the fight to oppose the legislation.
The announcement came as<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Human Rights Campaign Executive Director Chad Griffin, along with representatives<span style="color: Red;">*</span>from other organizations who have opposed the measure,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>visited the state Capitol<span style="color: Red;">*</span>to<span style="color: Red;">*</span>distribute a<span style="color: Red;">*</span>letter,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>which<span style="color: Red;">*</span>included<span style="color: Red;">*</span>signatures from 60 business executives, to House Speaker Beth Harwell and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey.
Others<span style="color: Red;">*</span>to sign the letter include executives from<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Williams-Sonoma, Etsy, Airbnb, Tumblr<span style="color: Red;">*</span>and REI.
Dow Chemical Co., Hewlett-Packard Enterprise,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Choice Hotels International<span style="color: Red;">*</span>and Alcoa Inc. — all of which had<span style="color: Red;">*</span>already voiced<span style="color: Red;">*</span>concern about the measure — also signed the letter.
"We are disappointed to see the legislature consider discriminatory legislation," the company executives wrote.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"The business community,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>by and large, has consistently communicated to lawmakers at every level that such laws are bad for our<span style="color: Red;">*</span>employees and bad for business. This is not a direction in which states move when they are seeking to<span style="color: Red;">*</span>provide successful, thriving hubs for business and economic development."
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The letter is the latest warning over the bill from<span style="color: Red;">*</span>individuals and businesses, including Nashville Mayor<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Megan Barry,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Viacom<span style="color: Red;">*</span>and<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Miley Cyrus, who<span style="color: Red;">*</span>have all expressed their own concerns.
“Tennessee has an opportunity to learn from the mistakes of those who have planted themselves on the wrong side of history,” Griffin said during a Wednesday<span style="color: Red;">*</span>morning news conference outside the Capitol, noting that the proposed legislation would do "nothing more than enshrine discrimination into state law."
Joining Griffin was Chris Sanders, executive director of the Tennessee Equality Project; Dr. Marisa Richmond, lobbyist for the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition; Hedy Weinberg, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee; and Dr. Renee McLaughlin, senior medical director of<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Cigna HealthCare.
McLaughlin, who is transgender, said the legislation would damage the state's vibrant work environment. Reminding lawmakers that she would be required to use the male restroom under the proposed legislation if she enrolled as a student at a university, McLaughlin said, "I know that that will put me in harm's way."
"We the people of Tennessee are better than what the proponents of this bill would have us to be," McLaughlin concluded before reading a letter from Cigna HealthCare,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>which said<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the legislation was "misguided."
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Richmond said enacting the controversial legislation into law would result in increased school dropout rates and even suicides.
"It is now the time for Tennessee lawmakers to uphold our Tennessee values and ensure that all students are treated with respect and dignity, fairly and equally under the law," Weinberg added.
Despite those opposing the measure, the bill's sponsor,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Rep.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Susan Lynn, R-Mt. Juliet, said on Wednesday that she has not<span style="color: Red;">*</span>heard from any businesses.
Proponents of the measure, including the Alliance for Defending Freedom and the Family Action Council, as well as Lynn, say the bill is necessary to protect the privacy of students.
Although many expected the contentious measure to be taken up in separate<span style="color: Red;">*</span>House and Senate committees on Wednesday, action was delayed to allow lawmakers to finalize next year's budget.
Lynn said she was grateful to have<span style="color: Red;">*</span>extra time to continue to work on the legislation, as well as allow those interested in<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the issue the opportunity to "calm<span style="color: Red;">*</span>down."
"In my opinion both sides have been off the charts," she said. "It's just been a lot of shouting back and forth."
Lynn said she was saddened<span style="color: Red;">*</span>by the behavior of some people who have reached out to her, noting that she's received email and<span style="color: Red;">*</span>personal mail that is not "characteristic of Tennesseans."
"I really am very troubled by the behavior," she said. "We're all Tennesseans, we<span style="color: Red;">*</span>should all love each other."
Lynn and Sen.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Mike Bell, R-Riceville, who is sponsoring the Senate version,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>said they were working on amending the legislation to try to eliminate fiscal concerns.
An amended version of a<span style="color: Red;">*</span>fiscal note<span style="color: Red;">*</span>tied to the bill determined a loss of $800,000 in<span style="color: Red;">*</span>state and local revenue. The fiscal document<span style="color: Red;">*</span>also includes a note that the state's federal Title IX funding, which is estimated to be $1.3 billion in next year's budget, could be in jeopardy —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>a point that<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Attorney General Herbert Slatery reiterated on Monday when he released an opinion on the matter.
The legislation could be taken up on Thursday or early next week.
Also on Wednesday,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Gov. Bill Haslam told reporters he has<span style="color: Red;">*</span>fielded<span style="color: Red;">*</span>phone<span style="color: Red;">*</span>calls from various business executives regarding the bathroom bill.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Haslam reiterated his concerns about the legislation, which largely centers around the Title IX aspect, and<span style="color: Red;">*</span>did not say whether he would veto the legislation should it make it to his desk.
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