RALEIGH, N.C. — A national group is urging Apple and Amazon to choose a city not in North Carolina for expansion because of a new voter ID bill.
North Carolina is on the short-list for expansion by two of the biggest companies in the world, Apple and Amazon
If the two choose the Tar Heel state as their next home, the effects will reach from Raleigh to Charlotte.
But, the largest online racial justice organization Color of Change told Channel 9, they have a message for CEOs Jeff Bezos and Tim Cook: pick someplace else
"We're asking these corporations to take a stand and really say that they are not going to support lawmakers that are trying to sneak through legislation," Brandi Collins-Dexter of Color of Change said.
Thursday, Channel 9 reported Speaker Tim Moore filed a bill asking for voters to have a choice in the fall on whether there should be a constitutional amendment requiring voters to show an ID at the polls.
Moore did not respond to our request for comment Friday. But Thursday in a statement, he said: "This commonsense measure to secure the integrity of our elections system is supported by the vast majority of North Carolinians."
The boycott encouragement brings back memories of HB2. That law resulted in another major company, PayPal, backing out of plans to put high-paying jobs in Charlotte. The group leading this new effort says mandating an ID at the polls is harmful
"I think what hurts the people of North Carolina are lawmakers who are trying to pass laws that prevent them from engaging in their civic duty," Collins-Dexter said.
It's unclear when Apple and Amazon will make decisions.
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