Engine Manufacturer takes side in election reform fights

 

Engine maker Cummins Inc. jumped feet first into the racial politics that has divided America by criticizing Georgia and other states that have taken steps for election reform.

In a statement released by Cummins Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger, called those steps “discriminatory, largely aimed at our Black and brown citizens.”

He said the efforts “have no place in the inclusive communities we are committed to building.”

“Voting is a core civil rights issue, and we have been engaged in this battle far too long. We will not stop until voting is accessible to all people in our country. Anything less diminishes our democracy,” he said in a statement from the company that has major operations in Oklahoma City and employs more than 57,000 people worldwide.

In his statement, Linebarger pointed to the support the company gave Martin Luther King Jr. in his 1963 march on Washington.

“We also call on leaders of companies and communities in every state around the country to do their part to make it clear that we will not tolerate discriminatory voting practices,” said Linebarger.

 

He did not state how some of the election efforts are considered racially discriminatory in his opinion. In recent days, Major League Baseball withdrew its All-Star game from Atlanta following Georgia’s move to take steps regarding its election laws. Delta Airlines also was critical of Georgia.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp defended the election reform saying the Election Integrity Act of 2021 “ensures the integrity of the ballot box” and called the MLB decision “ridiculous.”

“Secure, accessible, fair elections are worth the threats,” Kemp said. “They are worth the boycotts, as well as the lawsuits.”

While Gov. Kemp maintains the Georgia election reform is less restrictive than New York and Delaware, states run by Democratic Governors, Georgia has continued to be criticized for being suppressive to minority voters.