EQCA-Sponsored Travel Ban Clears Assembly Judiciary Committee

Sacramento, Calif. - April 7, 2016 – A bill sponsored by Equality California and the National Center for Lesbian Rights that would ban state-funded travel to Mississippi, North Carolina, and other states that enact laws that permit discrimination against LGBT people has cleared the California Assembly Judiciary Committee this week.  Assembly Bill 1887, authored by Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Campbell), would ban non-essential, state-funded travel to those states by California state employees.

"The LGBT community is the target of mounting and well-orchestrated campaigns to strip away our hard-won victories – laws that protect our most basic dignity.  It is of vital importance that California use its powerful voice to speak out against these hateful attacks," said Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California.  "The bill received bipartisan support in its first committee, demonstrating that California is squarely on the side of fairness and justice, and against the blatant discrimination taking place in North Carolina and Mississippi.  We hope that AB 1887 will strongly discourage other states from considering laws that would target LGBT people.  We congratulate bill author Assemblymember Evan Low on the strong support AB 1887 has received so far," said Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California.

AB 1887 faces another critical committee vote next week.  Equality California is circulating an online petition, viewable here, urging lawmakers to support the bill.

Equality California is the nation's largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization dedicated to creating a fair and just society. Our mission is to achieve and maintain full and lasting equality, acceptance, and social justice for all people in our diverse LGBT communities, inside and outside of California. Our mission includes advancing the health and well-being of LGBT Californians through direct healthcare service advocacy and education. Through electoral, advocacy, education and mobilization programs, we strive to create a broad and diverse alliance of LGBT people, educators, government officials, communities of color and faith, labor, business, and social justice communities to achieve our goals. www.eqca.org