New York Democrats are ditching the constitutional right to freedom of religion in a bid to punish Chick-fil-A, apparently for its religious beliefs, according to the conservative Media Research Center.
The MRC reported on Tuesday that Democrats in the state Assembly have filed a bill requiring all restaurants operating in government rest stops to remain open seven days a week or risk losing their contracts to offer service in the facilities.
“While the bill doesn’t single out Chick-fl-A by name,” the MRC noted, “the chain is the only fast-food restaurant operating within the rest stops that is closed one day a week.”
Chick-fil-A has been closed on Sundays since its founding.
As the company explains on its website, “Our founder, Truett Cathy, made the decision to close on Sundays in 1946 when he opened his first restaurant in Hapeville, Georgia. Having worked seven days a week in restaurants open 24 hours, Truett saw the importance of closing on Sundays so that he and his employees could set aside one day to rest and worship if they choose — a practice we uphold today.”
But New York Democrats seek to force Chick-fil-A to abandon these beliefs and practices.
The text of their bill states, “While there is nothing objectionable about a fast food restaurant closing on a particular day of the week, service areas dedicated to travelers is an inappropriate location for such a restaurant.”
“Publicly owned service areas should use their space to maximally benefit the public. Allowing for retail space to go unused one seventh of the week or more is a disservice and unnecessary inconvenience to travelers who rely on these service areas.”
Left unsaid is that travelers have other options besides Chick-fil-A in these facilities. Moreover, the company operates restaurants in just seven of 27 rest stops that are affected by the proposed bill.
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The MRC noted that left-wing Democratic Assemblyman Tony Simone, who sponsored the bill, literally suggested Chick-fil-A must open on Sundays because people may not like their relatives’ cooking.
“You know, we get hungry when we’re traveling. We may not like our brother-in-law or sister-in-law’s cooking and wanna get a snack on Christmas Eve,” Simone said in an interview. “To find one of the restaurants closed on the Thruway is just not in the public good.”
“And I think it’s ridiculous that you’re able to close on Sunday — one of the busiest travel days of the week.”
Despite the attack on Chick-fil-A’s conservative leadership, Simone’s bill should not immediately affect the company.
“Chick-fil-a had signed a 33-year contract with the New York Thruway Authority to remain in the convenience centers, meaning that any bill targeting store hours could only impose such a mandate on future contracts and wouldn’t impact current arrangements,” the MRC reported.
This is not the first time liberals have attacked Chick-fil-A for the views of its leaders.
Democrats and LGBTQ activists denounced the company after the Cathy family donated to religious groups that oppose same-sex marriage.
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