Republican Montana Attorney General Tim Fox is inviting Chick-fil-A to open more franchises in the state, and accused critics of the Christian-owned fast food chain of evoking “division and outrage.”

Fox, who is also a candidate for governor in the state’s 2020 race, wrote a letter to Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy expressing his desire for the company to increase operations in the state while also reminding them that “beef is king” in Montana. (RELATED: Despite Years Of Effort From Activists, Chik-Fil-A Poised To Become Third-Biggest Fast Food Joint)

“While your company faces a barrage of unnecessary criticism from places like San Antonio, Tx and Buffalo, NY, I want you to know that Montanans don’t discriminate against others based on religious affiliation,” Fox said. “That’s why I’d like to extend Chik-fil-A an invitation to expand its operations in Big Sky Country.”

“Just to be clear, in Montana, beef is king,” Fox said. “But we sure know good food when we taste it.”

Since we currently have only one Chick-fil-A location, I’d like to invite you to expand your operations in the Treasure State. –Tim pic.twitter.com/FhkRc1gNkv — Tim Fox (@foxforgovernor) April 22, 2019



Chik-fil-A has faced criticism for years over the company’s commitment to traditional Christian values, such as closing on Sunday. Earlier this year, the restaurant was banned at airports in San Antonio and Buffalo for so-called “anti-LGBTQ behavior.”

After San Antonio’s decision, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton opened an investigation into whether or not the city was in violation of state law, while Republican Texas Rep. Chip Roy wrote a letter urging the city council to reverse course.

“Targeting individuals, organizations, or corporations for carrying out their deeply-held religious beliefs in accord with our laws and consistent with many Americans’ similarly held religious beliefs is hardly making San Antonio a ‘champion of equality and inclusion,’” Roy said. “I hope this matter can be resolved, as it would be unfortunate if the council’s decision negatively impacted our ability to effectively advocate for San Antonio in Congress due to such rampant discriminatory action against a well-regarded business with such a significant presence in our communities in central Texas and across the nation.”

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