State of Georgia says it will regulate the political speech of Delta Airlines

State of Georgia says it will regulate the political speech of Delta Airlines

Of interest – a government body says it will force compliance with the government’s desired speech by using the tax code against companies that do not comply with the government’s desired political speech:

  • Delta and United over the weekend said they would end airfare discounts for an upcoming NRA conference.

  • Georgia’s Lt. Gov Casey Cagle said he’d ‘kill’ any tax law that benefits Delta unless it reinstates its relationship with NRA.

Source: Georgia Lt. Gov: Will ‘kill’ Delta tax break unless airline restores NRA ties
Here, Georgia says it can compel the speech of others and will punish you for having “wrong public opinion orientation“. Just like China.
(I am not a fan of public tax subsidy programs for big corporations. This post is about the First Amendment, not gun rights or tax policy. The First Amendment is what makes propaganda possible in the U.S., warts and all. When government uses its power of coercion to compel speech, we no longer have a First Amendment nor liberty.)
Update: A law professor says that Georgia’s actions do appear to be contrary to the First Amendment rights of Delta.

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