Georgia is making good on its threat against Delta Air Lines to strip a proposed tax break that would have benefited the major carrier after it said earlier this week that it would no longer offer group discounts to National Rifle Association (NRA) members.
Delta cut ties with the NRA following the recent shooting at a Florida high school that killed 17 people. But that decision angered Georgia’s Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, who responded by warning Delta: Either reestablish ties with the NRA, or say goodbye to your tax break.
Well, the state Senate voted 44-10 to approve a tax bill on Thursday that cut income taxes—but also included no tax break for airlines (Delta, based in Atlanta, would have been the prime beneficiary of to the tune of $40 million). Georgia’s House approved a version of the bill last week in a 135-24 vote.
The bill is expected to be signed into law early next week.
I will kill any tax legislation that benefits @Delta unless the company changes its position and fully reinstates its relationship with @NRA. Corporations cannot attack conservatives and expect us not to fight back.
— Casey Cagle (@CaseyCagle) February 26, 2018
On Thursday, Lt. Gov. Cagle cheered the vote, saying on Twitter, “We just passed the largest tax cut in Georgia history!”
We just passed the largest tax cut in Georgia history! pic.twitter.com/Cv8YoRGwg2
— Casey Cagle (@CaseyCagle) March 1, 2018
Still, even as Delta’s relationship with Georgia grows cold, officials from Democrat-leaning states have offered their states as a new home base for Delta. In the days following Cagle’s threat, leaders from Virginia, New York, and Washington state reached out to woo the carrier.
Fortune has contacted Delta for a response.
