Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal is facing mounting pressure from Hollywood heavyweights to veto a religious liberty bill that critics describe as anti-gay, with some threatening a boycott that could cost the state billions in business and thousands of jobs.
In the past week, nearly three-dozen actors, directors and studio companies have threated to pull out of lucrative projects in Georgia — a popular filming location dubbed the “Hollywood of the South” — if Deal signs the bill. The Republican governor has until May 3 to decide whether to do so.
“I’ll try to act as expeditiously as possible, especially on major pieces of legislation. We don’t have a time frame,” Deal told the Atlanta Journal Constitution Thursday night, referring to the measure.
The bill would allow faith-based organizations to deny services to those who violate their “sincerely held” religious beliefs. It also would let employers retain the right to fire employees not aligned with those beliefs.
