State employees in California will soon be banned from using taxpayer funds to travel to nearly half of the country due to the enactment of anti-LGBTQ legislation in other states. With the additions of Arizona, Indiana, Louisiana, and Utah in the coming months, the Golden State's travel ban restriction will cover 22 states.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, whose office determines which states are placed on the state-funded travel restrictions list, made the announcement Thursday, June 30, on the last day of Pride Month. Legislators in the quartet of states being added to the list passed laws this year that curtailed the rights of transgender youth and adults, with all four set to force non-cisgender girls and women to play on sports teams based on their gender assigned at birth.
"Make no mistake: There is a coordinated, ongoing attack on transgender rights happening right now all across the country," stated Bonta. "Blanket legislation targeting transgender children is a 'solution' in search of a problem. It is detached from reality and directly undermines the well-being of our LGBTQ+ community. During this Pride Month and all year round, we're committed to standing up against discrimination in all its forms."
Under California's Assembly Bill 1887, which Bonta had voted to adopt in 2015 when he served in the Assembly, state funds can't be used to travel to states that have adopted discriminatory laws against LGBTQ people since June 26, 2015. Authored by gay Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Campbell) and signed into law by former governor Jerry Brown, the restriction on taxpayer-funded travel covers government workers, academics, and college sports teams at public universities.
There is an exception if the travel is for emergency purposes, such as providing support in fighting wildfires. Meanwhile, college sports teams have found ways to cover their travel costs to the banned states via alumni funds and other means.
Since the Golden State bill took effect, the list of states covered by the travel ban has only grown. No states have yet to be removed from it due to repealing the anti-LGBTQ laws that placed them on it.
"As mandated under AB 1887, we're putting our money where our values are," stated Bonta in restricting state-funded travel to Arizona, Indiana, Louisiana, and Utah.
The use of taxpayer money to travel to Indiana and Utah will be banned as of Friday, July 1. In both cases, it is due to state lawmakers overriding vetoes by their Republican governors of transphobic sports bans.
In Indiana, Governor Eric Holcomb had vetoed House Bill 1041 only to have it be reinstated by the Indiana Legislature on May 24. It repeals existing protections and prevents transgender women and girls from participating in interscholastic school sports consistent with their gender identity.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox had vetoed similar legislation adopted in the Beehive State. But the Utah Legislature overrode his veto on March 22.
The prohibition on state-funded travel to Louisiana will kick in on August 1. It is due to the same type of anti-trans sports ban being passed by the Legislature in the Pelican State. It passed on June 6 despite Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards refusing to sign it.
The restriction against travel to Arizona will become effective September 28. It is due to passage in the Grand Canyon State of Senate Bill 1138 and Senate Bill 1165, which were both signed on March 30 by Republican Governor Doug Ducey.
SB 1138 prohibits health care professionals from providing, and insurance companies from covering, gender-affirming care to minors. The other law is the same anti-trans sports ban adopted by the three other states.
Last fall, Ohio had become the 18th state covered by California's travel ban due to the enactment of House Bill 110, which allows for medical providers in the Midwest state to deny care to LGBTQ+ Americans, including Californians traveling in Ohio. The Buckeye State was officially added to the restricted travel list on September 30.
Florida, Montana, West Virginia, Arkansas, and North Dakota landed on the list last year during Pride Month. Also covered by the travel ban law are Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas.
San Francisco list
The office of San Francisco's city administrator keeps a similar list banning taxpayer-funded travel for non-essential trips to states that have adopted anti-LGBTQ laws since 2015. The city also includes states with abortion restrictions on its list.
Last updated March 6, the list currently includes 28 states. The only state not on it that is now covered by California's travel ban is Utah. But it should now be added in the coming days to San Francisco's travel ban list.
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