Sage
27117th Street NW Suite 1100
At lanta, GA 30363 T 470-447-4000
www.sage.com

Governor Deal:

Sage is proud to have our U.S. headquarters in Georgia, and we have been a proactive corporate citizen, investing in Atlanta, creating jobs and supporting the community through Sage Foundation. We are the second largest tech company in Europe- and our home in Georgia, employing over 750 people and growing to 1000, supports Small & Medium Businesses across the U.S. & Canada.

However, we want to honor the relationship we have with you, by being frank about HB 757 and the impact we think it will have on the business community here. As we are currently negotiating a three-year agreement to host our global summit in Atlanta- the world's largest gathering (over 15,000 attendees) of Small & Medium Businesses, we must consider how this Bill might affect those plans.

We urge you to use your veto. The new language in the version the General Assembly sent to you last week still does not prevent a business owner from refusing to serve customers based on their sexual orientations. Protecting the religious freedom of all Georgians is paramount, but not at the expense of enabling discrimination of any kind.

Sage is a champion of Small & Medium Businesses and we support their right to choose how they operate. However, we do not condone any measures that would enable discrimination against any individual or group. Yet that is what the Religious Freedom Bill will encourage. We are concerned that the new wording and its "live and let live" philosophy will not prevent discrimination; it will only enable people to turn a blind eye to it.

Please consider the fact that more than 500 businesses, including Sage, have signed the Metro Atlanta Chamber's Georgia Prospers petition. We want to make it clear to all Georgians and to all those out-of-state organizations that love doing business with us, that we are committed to fostering a diverse and welcoming community for all people, no matter one's race, sex, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion, age , disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

You have always been very strong and vocal in your view that discrimination in any form is intolerable, and we ask that you maintain that position while reviewing this Bill.

Regards,

Marc Scheipe
President, North America
Sage