California Legislature Approves EQCA-Sponsored Travel Ban

Sacramento - August 23, 2016 – The California Legislature today passed AB 1887, a bill authored by Assemblymember Evan Low and sponsored by Equality California, that would ban state-funded travel to states that discriminate against LGBT people. The bill also is sponsored by the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

"Californians may not be able to stop states like Mississippi or North Carolina from targeting LGBT people with hateful laws," said Rick Zbur. "But we can use our power as the world's sixth-largest economy and choose to not do business there. AB 1887 would ensure that California tax dollars do not help finance discrimination beyond our borders."

Assembly Bill (AB) 1887 would ban non-essential, state-funded travel by California state employees to North Carolina, Mississippi and other states that pass discriminatory laws in the future. It is similar to bans already in place in New York State, Baltimore and San Francisco that focus on specific states that have already passed anti-LGBT laws, but also will apply to new states if they enact discriminatory laws in the future.

"I'm very pleased that a majority of my colleagues joined together today to stand up and say we will fight back against the discriminatory policies passed in North Carolina and Mississippi," said AB 1887's author Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Silicon Valley). "California has said clearly, our taxpayer dollars will not help fund bigotry and hatred. If other states try and pass similar laws, we will work to stop them."

More than 200 pieces of anti-LGBT legislation are making their way through state legislatures across the country. This wave of discriminatory bills is a backlash to last year's Supreme Court ruling that found that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry.

"The California Legislature has once again demonstrated tremendous leadership on LGBT rights by voting to ban travel to states that pass laws authorizing discrimination," said NCLR Government Policy Director Geoff Kors. "We urge Governor Brown to sign this bill and ensure that taxpayer money doesn't go to states that enact license to discriminate bills."

AB 1887 now goes to the governor's desk

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