Georgia lawmakers kill proposed tax break in dig at Delta over NRA fight

Georgia state legislators Thursday struck down what would have been a lucrative tax exemption for hometown carrier Delta, after vowing to punish the airline for ending its relationship with the NRA. Led by a Republican majority, state lawmakers passed a tax bill that excludes a jet fuel tax exemption designed to benefit Delta, the state’s largest private employer. It was the most significant blowback yet after the carrier said last week it was cutting ties with the NRA following a Florida school massacre. Delta said it was ending a discount program for NRA members and had asked the gun rights group to remove its information from the group’s website after the Feb. 14 slaying of 17 students and educators at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Delta did not respond to a request on Thursday for comment about the Georgia tax bill. Georgia Republicans had criticised the airline’s move to cut its ties to the NRA. They were led by Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle, president of the state senate, who vowed to kill any tax legislation that benefited Delta. The bill that passed the Georgia House of Representatives and Senate on Thursday had previously included tax exemption language that had been projected to save Delta some $40m a year in jet fuel tax.<br/>