The governor of Georgia has decided to veto a law that could have threatened Atlanta’s ability to host a Super Bowl.
Gov. Nathan Deal said in a statement that the “religious liberty” bill, which gay-rights groups said would allow discrimination, “doesn’t reflect the character of our state or the character of its people.”
Atlanta is widely expected to get the Super Bowl in either 2019 or 2020 after taxpayers agreed to finance the Falcons’ new stadium, but the league released a statement this month suggesting that the law, if signed, could cost the state the Super Bowl.
“NFL policies emphasize tolerance and inclusiveness, and prohibit discrimination based on age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other improper standard,” the league’s statement said. “Whether the laws and regulations of a state and local community are consistent with these policies would be one of many factors NFL owners may use to evaluate potential Super Bowl host sites.”
Two years ago the governor of Arizona vetoed a similar bill after the NFL said that state could lose the Super Bowl.