California Bans State Travel To Texas, Alabama, Kentucky And South Dakota Over Anti-LGBT Laws

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra will ban state-funded travel to Texas and three other states on Thursday in response to legislation limiting the rights of homosexual and transgender people enacted by those states this year.

Becerra added Texas, Alabama, South Dakota and Kentucky to the growing list of states where state employee travel is restricted. North Carolina, Kansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee are already on the list.

Lawmakers passed legislation last year banning non-essential travel to states with laws that discriminate against LGBT people.

State legislators in Texas, Alabama and South Dakota passed new laws in 2017 allowing adoption or foster parent agencies to refuse service to gay, lesbian and transgender families.

A new Kentucky law would allow discrimination in schools by allowing student organizations at state schools to block gays, lesbians and transgender people from membership.

“While the California [Department of Justice] works to protect the rights of all our people, discriminatory laws in any part of our country send all of us several steps back,” Becerra said in a statement. “That’s why when California said we would not tolerate discrimination against LGBTQ members of our community, we meant it.”

The Hill adds:

The California law still allows some employees to travel to states on the banned list, for special exempted purposes like collecting tax revenue, engaging in litigation or to complete on-the-job training. It also allows employees who must appear in a banned state to participate in meetings or training to obtain grant funding.

Becerra, appointed to fill the vacancy left behind when Sen. Kamala Harris (D) quit the attorney general’s office in January, is seeking election in 2018. He faces state Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones (D), the only other announced candidate.