Some lawmakers are trying to block Chick-fil-A from New York rest stops as past political donations continue to haunt the chain
- Chick-fil-A plans to open restaurants in New York thruway rest stops.
- Some New York lawmakers say Chick-fil-A goes against the state's values.
- Chick-fil-A no longer makes political donations.
Chick-fil-A is once again facing controversy after the New York State Thruway Authority announced that the chicken chain would be added to some rest stops.
The Thruway Authority approved a plan to spend $300 million rebuilding 23 rest stops and renovating others with construction beginning next year.Chick-fil-A, alongside Popeyes, Shake Shack, Dunkin', and other chains, is slated to be added to some of the stops.
Some state lawmakers have criticized Chick-fil-A's inclusion and asked the Thruway Authority to reconsider. Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal wrote in a letter that she was "outraged" and asked that Chick-fil-A immediately be dropped from the thruway plans.
"New York State has long stood on the right side of history and supported the LGBTQ+ community, but this decision flies in the face of our progressive values and will undermine the progress we have worked to achieve," she wrote.
Three LGBTQ lawmakers followed with another letter saying that Chick-fil-A's inclusion was "sending a message to LGBTQ+ individuals that it doesn't share the same commitment to their civil rights."
Chick-fil-A, which is famously closed on Sundays, recently faced renewed scrutiny over donations made by CEO Dan Cathy to groups fighting legislation for LGBTQ protections.
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Cathy is a "high-dollar donor" to the National Christian Charitable Foundation (NCF), one of the largest charities in the US with a history of funding opposition to The Equality Act, The Daily Beast reported.
Chick-fil-A itself no longer makes political donations. Before 2012, Chick-fil-A regularly contributed to conservative Christian groups that opposed LGBTQ rights, as Kate Taylor reported for Insider. In 2010, Chick-fil-A donated $247,500 to the NCF.
"Chick-fil-A is excited about the partnership and the opportunity to further serve the residents of New York. We want to be clear that Chick-fil-A does not have a political or social agenda, and we welcome everyone in our restaurants," Chick-fil-A told Insider in a statement.
"We are proud to be represented by more than 200,000 diverse Team Members nationwide, and we strive to be a positive influence in our local communities. We do this, in part, by contributing $25,000 to food banks in each community where we open a new restaurant, and donating more than 10 million meals through our Shared Table program," the chain said.
New York's Thruway authority told Insider that all businesses with thruway contracts are held to the same non-discriminatory standards. "The New York State Thruway Authority, its Board of Directors, and staff support an inclusive environment that treats the tens of millions of people that travel our system with dignity and respect," it told Insider in a statement.
Despite the outsize attention, Chick-fil-A is actually unusual among fast-food companies because it does not donate to politicians. Political action committees funded by McDonald's, Wendy's, and Yum Brands have all donated thousands of dollars to political candidates, typically giving more to Republican candidates, Kate Taylor reported.