Georgia lawmakers on Thursday approved a tax bill that stripped out a jet-fuel tax exemption, a blow to Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines, days after the carrier decided to end airfare discounts for National Rifle Association members in the wake of the shooting massacre at a south Florida high school last month.
Georgia's lieutenant governor, Casey Cagle, who presides over the state's senate, on Monday said he would "kill" any tax legislation that benefits Delta. The provision in the bill was stripped out, CNBC reported.
On Saturday morning, Delta announced it would end a discount for members of the NRA attending the organization's annual meeting in Dallas in May. The airline, along with United, which also announced it was ending a similar deal, had offered discounts of between 2% and 10% for meeting attendees.
A coach-class ticket from Atlanta to Dallas for the dates of the conference would cost about $180, meaning travelers could save around $5.60 to $18 with those discounts.
The move backfired on Delta, a company that has exhibited savvy on political issues in the past.
Governors from New York and Virginia seized on the dispute and offered Delta a chance to move its headquarters.
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