The FAQ is now not accessible on-line, however was seen by a number of news reporters — a minimum of one in every of whom posted images of it on Twitter. At a time when the Walt Disney Co. is at odds with the state of Florida over LGBTQ insurance policies, and main firms regularly make enterprise selections primarily based on social points, the doc highlights questions about whether or not Youngkin’s tilt to the appropriate will have an effect on Virginia’s repute in the enterprise world.
Noting that Youngkin “has made prohibiting ‘critical race theory’ in K-12 classrooms a key pillar of his policies,” the FAQ requested whether or not Lego helps that stance.
“We stand against racism and inequality,” the corporate stated in response to its personal query, including that Lego has “donated to organisations that support black children and educate all children about racial equality.”
Another query requested why the corporate would find “in a state where the governor supports non-renewable energy, such as coal, and is critical of renewable energy investment?”
Lego answered itself that it had extensively researched the state and was assured it may perform an “ambitious sustainability agenda.” The new facility, which is about to make use of greater than 1,700 folks, is designed to be carbon impartial and includes a photo voltaic vitality energy plant.
“Virginia is one of fewer than a dozen states that has a 100 percent carbon neutrality commitment, and we are happy to do our part by investing in the on-site solar plant to provide the energy we need to operate our factory,” the FAQ continued.
Youngkin has criticized the formidable renewable vitality agenda handed final yr when Democrats have been in management of the General Assembly and the governor’s mansion, and has vowed to extract the state from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative — a multistate compact establishing a cap-and-trade market for carbon emissions credit.
The FAQ was briefly included Wednesday among the many truth sheets and movies that Lego’s outdoors public relations agency launched across the announcement.
“The document was intended for internal use only and shared in error,” the Lego Group stated Thursday night time in a press release, including that the corporate is “looking forward to starting work” on the manufacturing facility “and contributing to the local economy and community.” The plant is scheduled to open in the second half of 2025.
Youngkin spokeswoman Macaulay Porter declined to remark, although she stated she was not conscious that the FAQ had been eliminated.
Virginia has gained CNBC’s award because the top state for business for an unprecedented two years in a row, each instances underneath Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam. The award singled out Virginia for inclusive insurance policies reminiscent of range necessities for state businesses, expanded entry to the vote and anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ employees.
Youngkin was acknowledged for diversity practices when he was co-chief government of the Carlyle Group personal fairness agency, however has adopted a much more hard-line stance since working for workplace final yr.
He courted the crimson base of the GOP with dire warnings about critical race theory, an instructional framework for the research of systemic racism that was not on Virginia’s Okay-12 curriculum, and made a prohibition of the subject his first government motion as governor. He additionally launched an effort to purge racial fairness packages from colleges and established a “tip line” for mother and father to accuse lecturers or directors of exposing youngsters to topics they discover objectionable.
The state has continued to land new companies underneath Youngkin, who has referred to as financial improvement a precedence. In addition to selling the Lego announcement, Youngkin has touted current selections by Boeing and Raytheon to relocate their company headquarters to Arlington.
