Dan Malloy (Photo : Reuters)
Dan Malloy, Connecticut's Governor, created an executive order banning Indiana's state-funded travel, Monday. This is in response to the State's new "Hoosier" law that critics say encourages discrimination based due to sexual orientation.
Malloy tweeted, Monday, "When new laws turn back the clock on progress, we can?t sit idly by. We are sending a message that discrimination won?t be tolerated. -DM"
Connecticut is the first state to publicly come out against Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Mike Pence, Indiana's Governor, has announced that the law in subject will strengthen the First Amendment's foundations through protecting religious liberty from all forms of government actions.
Indiana's Human Rights Campaign and Freedom of Indiana say that this law will encourage businesses to discriminate people based on their sexual preference. The supporters of the law, however, have emphasized that 19 other states are exercising religious freedom protection through legislations as this.
Ed Lee, San Francisco Mayor, and Ed Murray, Seattle's Mayor, have also announced that they will never use the taxpayer's money to fund official trips to Indiana. Indiana's RFRA law substantially differs from all other state's in the aspect that it is being applied to disputes between civilians, instead of just between the government and a person, Think Progress reported.
Pence said, "This is not about discrimination, this is about empowering people to confront government overreach," the ABC News wrote.
Seven CEOs wrote Pence and all other legislative leaders, Monday, to express concern regarding the impact of this law to the State's reputation in employing the LGBT community.
