Amazon chose 20 cities as its finalists.<\/b>
\nATLANTA \u2014 Atlanta’s courtship with Amazon enters a playoff round \u2013 and one civic booster says it requires playing offense as well as defense.
\u00ab\u00a0Offense\u00a0\u00bb means offering an aggressive incentive package without giving away the proverbial store. Boosters say \u00ab\u00a0defense\u00a0\u00bb means keeping Georgia’s business climate the way it is \u2013 without complicating it with unnecessary controversy.
Religious Freedom is a concept that divided the Capitol over much of the last three years. Critics say bills guaranteeing \u00ab\u00a0religious freedom\u00a0\u00bb were anti-gay and therefore discriminatory. Backers said they protected religious rights.
Now critics say new religious freedom legislation could chase off Amazon. \u00ab\u00a0There will be one winner and a lot of losers\u00a0\u00bb in the Amazon sweepstakes, said Brian Robinson, who represents a business coalition called Georgia Prospers.
Amazon chose 20 cities as its finalists. A handful of them are in states that have religious freedom laws. Some, like North Carolina, have lost business because of those laws.
RELATED| Atlanta makes Top 20 list for Amazon HQ2
\u00ab\u00a0We have an open, welcome and inclusive environment here,\u00a0\u00bb Robinson said. \u00ab\u00a0We think it’s an advantage for us that those states have those policies.\u00a0\u00bb
But supporters of religious freedom bills in Georgia says Amazon’s list shows a willingness on the part of the company to play ball with religious freedom states.
That’s not going to decide this issue,\u00a0\u00bb said state Sen. Josh McKoon (R-Columbus), a sponsor of religious freedom legislation in recent years. \u00ab\u00a0Corporations make decisions based on regulatory and tax environments and dollars and cents. The more money Amazon can make in terms of incentives, the more likely they’re going to be to come to one of those cities on the list of 20.\u00a0\u00bb
A religious freedom bill introduced last year got no traction and is unlikely to get past Gov. Deal if it passes this year. Next year, with a new governor, may be a different story.<\/p>\n

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