An array of large American companies with ties to Texas have declined to stake out a position on the state’s strict new abortion ban, a stark contrast with Corporate America’s recent willingness to speak out on racial justice, voting rights and other polarizing social issues. Texas-based American Airlines and Dell Technologies, which earlier this year criticized Republican-led attempts to restrict voting access in Texas and other states, have remained silent since the state implemented the abortion ban this week, following the Supreme Court’s decision not to block it. Dallas-based Southwest Airlines also declined to comment, as did Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, which moved its headquarters from Silicon Valley to the Lone Star State last year. “This is not a topic that we can comment on,” said Tim Paynter, spokesman for defense contractor BAE Systems, which is expanding operations in Texas. Many other corporations with large Texas workforces — including Amazon, Apple, Google, Kimberly Clark and AT&T — did not response to inquiries from The Washington Post. The silence from a large swath of Corporate America reflects a deep uncertainty about whether and how to enter the debate over abortion, a topic that divides the nation on questions of religion, access to health care and women’s rights. Until this week, most companies had been able to avoid the issue. But the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision to permit Texas to ban abortions after about six weeks — before many women even know they are pregnant — may change that calculation, analysts said.“Companies have been allowed to be indifferent on this topic. They’ve coasted by,” said Shelley Alpern, who advises institutional investors on questions of reproductive health for Rhia Ventures. “So this development in Texas is a rude shock.”The unusual nature of the Texas law presents special challenges. Instead of providing for government enforcement, it invites private citizens to enforce the ban by filing a $10,000 lawsuit against anyone suspected of helping women obtain the procedure — a provision that could put ride-share drivers and other intermediaries in the law’s crosshairs. The prospect of cash bounties will make the abortion ban impossible for companies to ignore, said Anthony Johndrow, a corporate reputation adviser based in New York.“It’s easy to predict you’re going to have boycotts, you’re going to have women refusing to work for companies [in Texas] — that’s how society works right now,” Johndrow said. “The math that allowed companies to avoid this issue in the past is going to change.”On Friday, Uber and Lyft said they would cover legal fees for drivers sued under the law. Meanwhile, the Web hosting provider GoDaddy told Texas Right to Life to find a different provider for prolifewhistleblower.com, a site that invites supporters of the law to report people who continue to help women obtain abortions.“Last night we informed prolifewhistleblower.
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Article Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/09/04/companies-response-texas-abortion-ban/
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