Yeah, I can't see a firearms company, who makes by far most of their money from sales to civilians (and/or who wishes to retain that very lucrative market) not feeling the pressure here to do whatever they can to encourage, stand up for, make a statement of solidarity regarding the fundamental right of its customers -- when that very right is why they are in business to begin with.
If they want to be only a government contractor, hey, that's their deal.
But they are a publicly visible entity operating in a hotly controversial field. Anything they do could affect sales one way or another.
If they choose not to make this stand -- which has been established by other firms at least as far back as Ronnie Barrett and CA back with the .50 Cal ban -- then that makes a statement which their civilian customers will react to. If they choose to make this stand and refuse business to government agencies in certain states, that may as well affect their future sales with the government (and with the people, as well!).
They may wish neither side cared what they do, but that's not how the world works, so they have to make some choice.
If they will not stand with us, some of their competitors have said they WILL. Those folks who care will then shop with those competitors, not ArmaLite.
That's one of the tough realities of doing business.
Honestly, I love to see gun companies succeed, but if some need to suffer -- for their own decisions -- in order to show that the American citizen has a voice and demands their rights, that's a price I'm willing to see them and the industry pay.