California Travel Ban: Attorney General Prohibits Trips to Four More States Over Anti-LGBTQ Laws
California has just added Texas, South Dakota, Alabama and Kentucky in an update to the state's travel ban on Friday, June 23. The ruling by California's Department of Justice prohibits state-funded travel to places that have laws that discriminate against LGBTQ individuals and their families.
State measure AB 1887 first took effect as a new law on Jan. 1, and it included the states of Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee in its original version.
According to the law, the state of California is "a leader in protecting civil rights and preventing discrimination," and therefore should not financially support travel to states with discriminatory laws, as per CNN.
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Xavier Becerra, Attorney General for California, referred to the states covered by the ban in his statement made on Thursday, June 22. "Our country has made great strides in dismantling prejudicial laws that have deprived too many of our fellow Americans of their precious rights," Becerra said.
"Sadly, that is not the case in all parts of our nation, even in the 21st century," he added, alluding to the eight states now covered by the travel ban. He added that the contributions of the taxpayers of California should "not be used to let people travel to states who chose to discriminate," as quoted by FOX News.
The Attorney General has cited new legislation in Alabama, Kentucky, South Dakota and Texas as the reason for their inclusion in the travel ban.
He cited what he described as new laws discriminating against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people as behind the move to ban these areas from state-sponsored travel from California.
Kentucky has recently passed a religious freedom bill that lets campus groups exclude LGBTQ students. Meanwhile, Alabama, South Dakota and Texas all passed new rulings that may prohibit LGBT parents from adopting children.
The ban allows exceptions in a few cases, such as when the travel is needed for auditing, revenue collection, licensure or grant funding.
The ruling does not prevent anyone from personally financing the travel to states covered by the travel ban.
