VICTORY: Tea Party-Occupy-Labor Coalition Kills Georgia’s Corporate Assault On The First Amendment
Republic Report was one of the first outlets to tell you about a dangerous bill in Georgia being pushed by a Waffle House executive and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce that would’ve outlawed picketing outside of private residences — a law that would’ve put the Founding Fathers themselves in jail.
After we filed our report, Georgia activists took action. In direct response to our piece, Georgia Jobs With Justice started leafletting outside Waffle Houses to inform the patrons what one of the company’s most senior executives was proposing. The Tea Party also joined with Occupy Atlanta and the state’s labor unions to protest against the bill.
Finally, last night, after the Senate had already passed the bill and it sailed through a House committee, the full House body failed to take up the bill as the Georgia legislative session drew to a close — effectively killing the bill and ending this corporate assault on the First Amendment.
While many people contributed to this victory, it would not have been possible if Americans of all ideologies were able to unite and reject corporate influence over our democracy. It is a tale of how ordinary people were able to resist perversion of their laws by giant corporations, and should be an inspiration to activists everywhere.