Texas GOP’s All-In Focus on Culture War Spurs Corporate Backlash
- Dell, Facebook, Apple and IBM have objected to proposed bills
- Employers say conservative social agenda hurts recruiting
Business and politics are colliding in Texas, where Republican Governor Greg Abbott is facing backlash over a conservative social agenda that companies say will make it harder for them to attract and retain the best talent.
The latest flare-up came Wednesday, when Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, a Democrat, issued an executive order that requires masks be worn inside businesses and schools, defying Abbott’s ban on such mandates. Issues like voting rights and the treatment of transgender children have also recently divided the governor and corporations operating in the state. Dell Technologies Inc., Apple Inc., Facebook Inc. and International Business Machines Corp. have publicly criticized priorities of the Republican-dominated state government.