In a bizarre show of authoritarianism—even for them—California state officials have decided to ban state-funded travel to Idaho because of its transgender law.
In a press release, California’s attorney general, Xavier Becerra, said: “Where states legislate discrimination, California unambiguously speaks out. The state of Idaho has taken drastic steps to undermine the rights of the transgender community, preventing people from playing sports in school or having documentation that reflects their identity.”
In his comments Monday, Becerra was referring to legislation signed by Idaho Gov. Brad Little that banned biological males who say they identify as girls or women from participating in female sports at public schools, colleges, and universities.
House Bill 500, the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, passed by a significant margin in Idaho’s House and Senate. It wasn’t even controversial among Idaho residents.
The California Legislature, known for creating inclusive legislation, has a provision on the books that struck back at Idaho for passing this act.
How convenient! The Legislature passed Assembly Bill 1887, which prohibits taxpayer-funded travel to states with “discriminatory” practices. The ban applies to all of California’s state agencies, departments, boards, authorities, and commissions, and all its public universities.
Following Idaho’s passage of its transgender bill, California added Idaho to its list of states already subject to the travel ban. Idaho becomes the 11th state on the blacklist, along with Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, among others.
What’s maddening about this move is that California fancies itself the model of progress, the example of fairness, equality, and inclusivity. Frankly, in many ways, it is.
But passing a provision that blacklists states that ensure everyone’s freedoms remain intact, then making a big show of adding a state to that list as if that state had committed a crime, seems a bit contradictory, if not hypocritical.
So much for tolerance.
It’s not only showboating but in direct opposition to all the things California says it stands for.
Nicole Russell – The Daily Signal – June 26, 2020.
