A Democrat in New York has introduced a bill that, if passed, would force Christian-owned restaurant chain Chick-fil-A to open on Sundays, or remove numerous restaurants from a major highway system in the state.
Assemblyman Tony Simone, who is openly complaining that Chick-fil-A has a “terrible record on LGBT rights,” penned Bill A08336 to mandate that the New York State Thruway Authority only continue or enter into contracts with businesses that will stay open all seven days of the week.
“Chick-fil-A has had a terrible record on LGBT rights,” Simone complained to the New York Post last week. “I’m not going to not say that clearly.”
“To serve New Yorkers and travelers, things should be open seven days a week, including Chick-fil-A, and if they can’t they shouldn’t be in our rest stops,” he continued. “There should be options for people to eat and drink and not just one spot.”
Notably, there is already a standard that at least one hot-food option is open and available at these rest stops on every day of the week to better accommodate travelers and truckers. If Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays at a given rest stop, for example, there is another restaurant open.
“Our requirement is that we have at least one hot food option available,” Thruway spokesperson Jennifer Givner explained, according to Business Insider. “If Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays we have other alternatives for our customers.”
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There are currently seven Chick-fil-A restaurants on the interstate that would be affected by the bill, and at least three more of the restaurants slated to be built.
The chicken chain is known for closing its doors on Sundays for religious reasons.
“Closing our business on Sunday, the Lord’s Day, is our way of honoring God and showing our loyalty to Him,” Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy wrote in his book, “Eat Mor Chikin: Inspire More People.”
“My children have committed to closing our restaurants on Sundays long after I’m gone,” he wrote. “I believe God honors our decision and sets before us unexpected opportunities to do greater work for Him because of our loyalty.”
As highlighted by Catholic News Agency, this latest targeting of Chick-fil-A comes three years after three New York state legislators sent a letter to the executive director of the state Thruway Authority to urge him to “reexamine” the approval of Chick-fil-A to open locations along the highway system, citing a public stance against same-sex marriage from the restaurants’ ownership.
Related: Chick-Fil-A Ranked America’s Favorite Restaurant for 8th Consecutive Year