California Bans State-Funded Travel To Texas After Anti-Gay Adoption Law Passage

AUSTIN, TX — Citing a newly passed law restricting adoptions to gay couples and those not of the Christian faith, California's attorney general on Thursday banned state-funded travel to Texas.

In a news release, the California attorney general noted Texas' newly passed House Bill 3859 allows faith-based adoption agencies to determine who gets to adopt children based on their religious beliefs. As a result, California agencies, public universities and boards are barred from paying for their employees or board members to travel to Texas on business—essentially implementing a boycott against Texas.

"While the California DOJ (Department of Justice) works to protect the rights of all our people, discriminatory laws in any part of our country send all of us several steps back," Xavier Becerra, the California attorney general, said. "That's why when California said we would not tolerate discrimination against LGBTQ members of our community, we meant it."

The move drew a taunting response from the office of the Texas governor: "California may be able to stop their state employees, but they can’t stop all the businesses that are fleeing over taxation and regulation, and relocating to Texas," Abbott spokesman John Wittman said, as quoted by the Texas Tribune.

Related story: Texas Adoption: New Law Restricts Placement For Gays, Non-Christians

Some still worry about the implications should Texas pass a so-called "bathroom bill," a measure championed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. The aim of that legislation is to control the use of public bathrooms by transgender individuals, compelling them to use the bathrooms labeled with the gender of their birth rather than ones with which they identify. While the bill got nowhere during the regular session now ended, Abbott added it to a list of items he wants lawmakers to hash out next month in a special session.

Authored by Rep. James Frank, a Republican from Wichita Falls, Texas, the new law gives faith-based adoption agencies wide leeway in the adoptions process, as the Tribune noted: The ability to place a child in a religious school; deny referrals for certain contraceptives, drugs or devices; and refuse to contract with other organizations not sharing their religious beliefs.

In defensive tones on the floor of the Texas Legislature, Frank defended the new law in noting it enables faith-based agencies to refer those denied adoptions to other organizations not sharing their protocol.

"Specifically, 3859 allows foster care providers to make reasonable declination of certain child welfare services if they conflict with sincere religious beliefs," he said. "It does not, members — it does not — allow the provider to do anything they want but say no in rather specific and limited circumstances."

He dismissed critics of HB 3859 as hysterical: "Despite the fabricated hysteria over 3859, it does not ban anyone from participating but rather encourages all to participate. Members, nothing in this bill prevents individuals and couples from becoming verified as adoptive or foster parents. It's about specialization, not discrimination."

Another notable protest against Texas laws stemming from the recently ended legislative session was one by the UCLA, which called for a national ban on travel to the state over its anti-immigrant measure dubbed Senate Bill 4. Championed by Abbott, SB 4 seeks to deport all undocumented migrants from Texas regardless of whether or not they have criminal records.

Related stories:

ACLU Issues Travel Advisory Against Texas In Wake Of Anti-Immigrant Law Passage

Texas Governor Signs Far-Reaching Anti-Immigration Law On Facebook Live

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