A ribbon cutting on IBM’s new National Service Center in downtown Baton Rouge scheduled for today has quietly been canceled by the company, reportedly due to an executive order signed by Gov. Bobby Jindal last month in support of the controversial “Marriage and Conscience Act.”
WAFB-TV reports it first learned last month that IBM was considering giving the ribbon cutting the axe, and on Friday the station reported the technology giant quietly took it off its schedule.
“IBM may have some event in the fall, but no details are being made public at this time,” WAFB reports.
Today’s event had been planned for months, according to several city-parish leaders, including Davis Rhorer, executive director of the Downtown Development District. In April, IBM vice president James Driesse sent a letter to Gov. Bobby Jindal warning that a pending religious freedom bill would create a hostile environment for the tech company’s employees.
“A bill that legally protects discrimination based on same-sex marriage status will create a hostile environment for our current and prospective employees, and is antithetical to our company’s values,” read Driesse’s letter. “IBM will find it much harder to attract talent to Louisiana if this bill is passed and enacted into law.”
In his own letter, Jindal responded by saying: “I appreciate the letter, but fear that you are confused about what the bill would accomplish in practice, and I hope I can clear up some misconceptions.”
Hours after lawmakers voted down the Marriage and Conscious Act on May 19, Jindal issued an executive order to carry out the intent of the legislation.
In a statement this afternoon to Daily Report, a spokesperson for Commercial Properties Realty Trust, which is developing the IBM complex, says the ribbon cutting was never definite.
“They want to be able to showcase their executive center on the 7th floor and it is not completed yet,” says spokesperson Tina Rance.
