Staff Reports
The New York legislature has introduced a bill aimed at interfering with Chick-fil-A’s Sunday closing policy. Chick-fil-A was granted spots at the state’s rest stops on the New York Thruway, with the understanding that the counters would be closed on Sundays. This policy has been in place since the fast-food chain was founded in Georgia in 1946. The state has approved 10 locations for Chick-fil-A as part of the Thruway’s rest stop remodeling project.
However, left-wing activists in New York have been protesting the award of these locations due to Chick-fil-A’s support for organizations that are dubbed “anti-LGBT” by the left. Despite the Thruway Authority taking Chick-fil-A’s Sunday closure policy into account when planning the renovations, left-wing New York Democrats are determined to attack Chick-fil-A for its religious beliefs.
Democratic Lawmakers Launch Attack on Chick-fil-A's Right to Heed Biblical Commandment https://t.co/iHeM9Iu9Hg pic.twitter.com/6HYilcwHzk
— Home Defense Gun (@HomeDefenseGun) December 20, 2023
Democratic Assemblymember Tony Simone of Manhattan, the sponsor of the bill, has focused on Chick-fil-A’s charitable donations and support for Christian organizations as the motivation behind his actions. Simone argues that it doesn’t make sense for a company to provide food services at busy travel plazas and be closed on Sundays, which he refers to as one of the busiest travel days of the week.
It is clear that Simone and other Democrats targeting Chick-fil-A are more interested in penalizing the fast-food giant for its religion-based policies rather than addressing any actual problem. Democratic state Sen. Michelle Hinchey even claimed that Chick-fil-A’s Sunday policy was an inconvenience because it closed one of the main food options on the busiest travel days, leading to longer wait times at remaining open spots. It seems likely that this attack on Chick-fil-A will pass in New York, given the dominance of anti-religious Democrats in the state legislature and governor’s office.
Ultimately, this move by New York Democrats is a direct assault on Chick-fil-A because the company incorporates its owners’ Christian beliefs into its practices and policies. The goal is to force Chick-fil-A to violate the biblical commandment of honoring the Lord’s Day, regardless of the company’s long-standing policy and commitments.
