California banned state-funded travel to Indiana starting July 1. Indiana is one of 20 states on California's restricted list.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Indiana’s recently-passed ban on transgender girls participating in female intramural sports put the state in conflict with a 2015 California law that says, “California must take action to avoid supporting or financing discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.”
In a June 20 press release, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita defended his state’s ban on transgender participation as justified by “Hoosier common sense.”
“It’s unconscionable that these leftists are trying to tear down that progress in the name of nonsensical wokeism,” Rokita said.
The Indiana law on transgender youth in sports was passed in May, overriding Governor Holcomb’s veto. The ACLU of Indiana sued to block the legislation.
California’s travel restriction has several exceptions, including the enforcement of California law, litigation and to meet certain contractual obligations. It also doesn’t prevent personal travel to listed states. California Governor Gavin Newsom took a family trip to Montana, a banned state, on July 1.
California isn’t the first state to ban publicly funded travel to Indiana. After Indiana passed the 2015 Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Connecticut, New York and Washington instituted similar travel restrictions.
