Georgia Power and Coalition of Georgia Businesses urge passage of Hate Crimes Legislation

Georgia Power, along with a coalition of leading Georgia businesses, have signed a letter asking the Georgia General Assembly to support, approve and sign into law a comprehensive, specific, and clear bill against hate crimes.  House Bill 426, also known as the Georgia Hate Crimes Act, was passed by the Georgia House last year, but it is still with the Georgia Senate. The Senate will reconvene its session on Monday, June 15.  In the wake of the death of George Floyd and others, and the social unrest that has followed, many Georgia-based companies, including UPS, Coca-Cola, Delta, AT&T, Truist, WestRock, Genuine Parts, PulteGroup, Home Depot, Cox Enterprises, BlackRock, Salesforce, United Distributors, Invesco, Microsoft, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber are asking the state’s legislature to take action and pass the comprehensive hate crimes bill to ensure the safety of all Georgians.  “Racism, intolerance, or discrimination of any kind have no place in our communities or our company,” said Paul Bowers, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power. “We stand united with these companies as we commit to finding solutions to help make our communities better for every citizen and create an inclusive environment for everyone.”  In addition to signing the letter, the group of companies are launching a website, www.passhatecrimesga.com to help others encourage Georgia lawmakers to pass the bill. That website houses talking points about the legislation, ways for individuals to contact their local senators or state representatives, and information on how other companies can join the coalition.