CA Bans State-Funded Travel To Ohio Amid New Anti LGBTQ Laws

Los Angeles CA

26 September, 2021

4:45 PM

Description

CALIFORNIA — The Golden State is set to ban state-funded travel to Ohio amid new legislation that allows medical providers to deny care to LGBTQ+ Americans, officials said. Beginning Sept. 30, the state will restrict travel to Ohio, according to a statement from California Attorney General Rob Bonta. "Blocking access to life-saving care is wrong. Period," said Attorney General Rob Bonta."Whether it's denying a prescription for medication that prevents the spread of HIV, refusing to provide gender-affirming care, or undermining a woman's right to choose, HB 110 unnecessarily puts the health of Americans at risk." Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine defended legislation that allows medical providers to refuse service to those who identify as LGBTQ+. DeWine said that residents could find other medical providers if the ones they first approached refused to treat them, according to Cleveland.com. The state will join California's list of states where travel is restricted amid similar laws. In late July, Florida, Arkansas, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia were also added to that list. "When states discriminate against LGBTQ+ Americans, California law requires our office to take action," Bonta said in a previous statement. "These new additions to the state-funded travel restrictions list are about exactly that." The list now comprises 18 states. Lawmakers formed the list in 2016 to forbid travel to states that have laws that discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, according to the state. The 12 other states on the list are Texas, Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. California passed AB 1887 in 2016 to direct state agencies to avoid "supporting or financing discrimination" and to prohibit travel to any state that enacted a law authorizing or repealing protections against discrimination aimed at the LGBTQ community. There are some exceptions, such as travel conducted to enforce California law or to honor contracts that were signed before the list was updated. But the travel ban applies for events such as out-of-state conferences. "Make no mistake: We're in the midst of an unprecedented wave of bigotry and discrimination in this country — and the State of California is not going to support it," Bonta said previously. It remains to be seen how many state agencies will stop sending state employees to the listed states or what the financial effect will be.