Chief executives from nine major companies wrote a letter to Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) to ensure that the state's recently-passed Religious Freedom Restoration Act will not encourage discrimination.
The group, including CEOs from Angie's List, Anthem, Cummins, Dow AgroSciences, Eli Lilly & Co., Emmis Communications, Indiana University Health, Roche Diagnostics and Salesforce Market Cloud, sent a letter to Gov. Pence asking him to reconsider the law's provisions, according to the Wall Street Journal.
"All of our companies seek to promote fair, diverse and inclusive workplaces," the letter read. "Our employees must not feel unwelcome in the place where they work and live."
The law itself says "a state or local government action may not substantially burden a person's right to the exercise of religion unless it is demonstrated that applying the burden to the person's exercise of religion is essential to further a compelling governmental interest and the least restrictive means of furthering the compelling governmental interest." It also provides that a person who feels that their religious practice has been burdened may sue the government for an injunction.
Gov. Pence has come under national fire for the law, which opponents claim will enable businesses to discriminate against LGBTQ individuals based on religious belief. The governor gave a press conference March 31 in which he said "the law does not allow businesses to deny services to anyone." He blamed national reporting for exaggerating the potential for discrimination and said the state will not allow businesses to discriminate but did not elaborate on plans to prevent discrimination.
Several businesses, including San Francisco-based software company Salesforce, have announced that they will suspend business travel to Indiana in protest of the law. Seattle Mayor Ed Murray signed an order on March 31 banning travel to the state on city business, which was followed shortly by a similar order from San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee, according to the Indianapolis Star, and Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy (D) signed an order March 30 banning travel to Indiana on state business, according to Fox CT.