The New York legislature has launched a bill aimed at forcing Chick-fil-A outlets at the state’s rest stops to cancel the company’s longtime practice of closing on Sundays.
The state awarded spots to the popular fast food outlet to open counter outlets at some of the rest stops on the New York Thruway, knowing full well ahead of time that the counters would be closed on Sundays in accordance with the eatery’s policy. The policy has been in place since its founding in Hapeville, Georgia, in 1946, according to New York’s Spectrum News 1.
Chick-fil-A’s policy states that the company is closed on Sundays “to allow Operators and their team members to enjoy a day of rest, be with their families and loved ones, and worship if they choose.”
Chick-fil-A was awarded 10 locations as part of a remodeling of the Thruway’s 27 rest stops, some of which have been closed for more than a year, Spectrum News 1 reported.
But left-wing activists in New York have agitated against the award of the locations because Chick-fil-A — which is run by a Christian family — has supported what the left claims are “anti-LGBT” organizations.
The Thruway Authority notes that it took Chick-fil-A’s Sunday policy into account when making plans for the renovations, Spectrum News 1 reported.
A spokesperson told the station that “as part of the new 33-year contract to manage these facilities, Applegreen is required to have at least one hot and cold food option available 24 hours a day at all locations. Chick-fil-A’s Sunday closure is a brand requirement which Applegreen factored into their tenant plan.”
“When the project is complete, Chick-fil-A will operate in less than half of the service areas on the Thruway – all of which have at least one other food concept and a convenience store open seven days a week with up to three additional concepts and a convenience store at the largest and highest volume locations,” the authority explained.
The plans made by the authority, though, were not good enough for left-wing New York Democrats who are more interested in attacking Chick-fil-A for its religious beliefs.
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The legislature is debating the bill (A08336) to require all food providers that operate at “transportation facilities and rest areas” operated by the state to be open seven days a week.
In a statement reported by Spectrum News 1, Democratic Assemblymember Tony Simone of Manhattan unsurprisingly focused on Chick-fil-A’s charitable donations and support for Christian organizations as the impetus for his actions and put much less focus on the supposed “problem” of closing on Sunday, making it clear that he was attempting to penalize the fast food giant for its religion-based policies.
Simone said that “not only does Chick-fil-A have a long shameful history of opposing LGBTQ rights, it simply makes no sense for them to be a provider of food services in busy travel plazas,” and added that “a company, that by policy, is closed on one of the busiest travel days of the week should not be the company that travelers have to rely on for food services.”
As noted, the Thruway Authority already made its plans understanding that Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays, so Simone is railing about a problem that doesn’t appear to exist. But like leftists in other parts of the state, Simone is targeting Chick-fil-A because of its religion-based policies.
Another Democratic sponsor of the bill attacking Chick-fil-A claimed that the fast food company’s Sunday policy was an “inconvenience.”
Democratic state Sen. Michelle Hinchey said, “we need to ensure that [rest stops] remain reliable hubs, especially on the busiest travel days of the year. If one of the main food options closes for just one day, it not only inconveniences travelers but also puts a significant strain on the food spots that are open, leading to longer wait times.”
It seems likely that this broadside against Chick-fil-A will pass since the state legislature and governor’s office are dominated by anti-religious Democrats.
The goal is to force Chick-fil-A to break the biblical commandment to honor the Lord’s Day.
While its number in the Commandments might differ, and the wording might change, depending on the denomination and translation of the Bible, the gist of it, from the English Standard Version, is universal: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work…”
The Democrats’ move in New York is nothing more than a direct attack on Chick-fil-A because it bases some of its practices and policies on its owners’ Christian beliefs.
