Malloy Bans State-Funded Travel to North Carolina Amid Controversial Law

HARTFORD, CT- Gov. Dannel Malloy has banned state-funded travel to North Carolina after the state adopted a law that has been critically panned as being discriminatory toward the LGBT community.

“This law is not just wrong, it poses a public safety risk to Connecticut residents traveling through North Carolina,” Malloy said. “That’s why I have signed an executive order banning state-funded travel to the state. This law endangers the welfare not just of North Carolina’s citizens, but of all people visiting that state.”

The law, HB 2, was enacted last week and mandates that people use bathrooms at state agencies, schools and universities that match their sex listed on their birth certificate instead of their gender identity, according to CBS.

The law also undoes local measures to protect people based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

It isn’t the first time Malloy has banned state-funded travel to another state. He banned travel to Indiana after the state passed a controversial religious freedom law that many thought adversely targeted members of the LGBT community. The ban was lifted after Indiana amended the law to provide protections for the LGBT community.

North Carolina’s attorney general called the law a national embarrassment and said he would refuse to defend it in court.

North Carolina’s Republican Gov. Pat McCrory released a statement saying the law is intended to protect people who use public restrooms, showers and locker rooms.

“Instead, North Carolina has been the target of a vicious, nation-wide smear campaign,” he said.

Since then more than 80 CEOS and executives have signed a letter to North Carolina’s governor calling for the repeal of the law. Some of the companies include Facebook, Apple, Lyft, Google. The letter mentions that the law is bad for business and employees in the state and that it will adversely affect the state’s economy.

“We are disappointed in your decision to sign this discriminatory legislation into law. The business community, by and large, has consistently communicated to lawmakers at every level that such laws are bad for our employees and bad for business,” the executives wrote.