Last year, Georgia was proud to earn the coveted No. 1 ranking by CNBC as America’s Top State for Business. But this year, Georgia dropped to fifth place.

With CNBC’s recent announcement that quality of life issues—specifically non-discrimination protections for gay and transgender people—would be included in their ranking, it’s not hard to see why.

The consequences of Georgia’s discriminatory laws are starting to catch up to us. But Governor Deal can help put Georgia back on track—by expressly supporting non-discrimination protections including sexual orientation and gender identity.

Click here to send a message to Governor Deal urging him to lead the South—and restore Georgia’s ranking as the best state for business—by declaring that our state does not stand for discrimination.

Georgia touts a business friendly environment, but without a non-discrimination law that includes sexual orientation and gender identity, every single day, we discourage top talent from moving to our state and contributing to our economy.

What’s more, with some legislators dead set on passing the so-called Religious Freedom Restoration Act which will make it even easier to discriminate, we could expect Georgia’s business standing to suffer even more.

The state that secured the #1 spot in CNBC’s ranking is none other than Minnesota, a state that has had a non-discrimination policy that includes sexual orientation and gender identity since the early 90s.

The proof is in the pudding: Ensuring that all our citizens can live securely without the threat of discrimination isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s good for business as well. Now it’s time to remind the Governor that his role as our state’s Chief Executive is to ensure the economic well-being of our state.

Click here to send a message to Governor Deal urging him to take a stand against discrimination.

Together, we can make Georgia open for business to everyone.