By Texas News Desk
Apr 20, 2021
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick claims there aren t enough votes in the state Senate to pass a bill allowing Texans to carry a gun without a permit. The Republican says he plans to meet with law enforcement along with gun advocacy groups in hopes of charting a path forward. The Texas House passed constitutional carry last week, allowing those 21 and up to carry a handgun without a license, if they can legally possess a gun.
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Analysis: U.S. voting law debates stoke tussle over airline tax breaks
Reuters | Apr 08, 2021 09:48 PM EDT
Protesters gather outside of the Georgia State Capitol to protest HB 531, which would place tougher restrictions on voting in Georgia, (Photo : REUTERS/Dustin Chambers/File Photo)
Airlines are bracing for challenges to tax breaks they receive from U.S. states as a result of wading in to a political debate over voting rights, rekindling a domestic tug of war between politics and profits.
A Republican backlash faced by Delta Air Lines in its home state of Georgia after it called new restrictions unacceptable is spreading to Texas as some corporations clash with Republican lawmakers there.
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CHICAGO (Reuters) - Airlines are bracing for challenges to tax breaks they receive from U.S. states as a result of wading in to a political debate over voting rights, rekindling a domestic tug of war between politics and profits.
FILE PHOTO: Protesters gather outside of the Georgia State Capitol to protest HB 531, which would place tougher restrictions on voting in Georgia, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. March 4, 2021. Georgia enacted the restrictions on March 25. REUTERS/Dustin Chambers/File Photo
A Republican backlash faced by Delta Air Lines in its home state of Georgia after it called new restrictions unacceptable is spreading to Texas as some corporations clash with Republican lawmakers there.
Democrats say the tighter regulations are undemocratic and will hurt Black voters in particular.
American Airlines and United Airlines have spoken out against measures that restrict voting access, sparking a furious response from Republicans who say the bills counter fraud.
After Delta blasted Georgia’s Republican-backed voting bill last week, some lawmakers attempted to end its jet-fuel tax breaks.
Now airlines are concerned that tax breaks that allow them to reduce fuel costs could be singled out by lawmakers in Texas in retaliation for opposition to new voting laws, people familiar with their thinking said.
“We have an eye on that as a possibility and I think it goes without saying that we wouldn’t like that,” one person said, asking not to be identified.