Texas Sues California Over 2017 Travel Ban, AG Paxton Says It 'Violates U.S. Constitution'
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) — Texas is taking on California, suing The Golden State's 2017 travel ban forbidding all non-essential travel to the Lone Star state.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the lawsuit Monday afternoon, saying the California travel ban is financially impacting the state.
California banned all non-essential state travel to Texas and three other states citing anti-LGBTQ rights laws enacted in each of the states three years ago.
"California is attempting to punish Texans for respecting the right of conscience for foster care and adoption providers. And as the U.S. Supreme Court said recently in upholding the religious liberty of artist Jack Phillips, disparaging religious beliefs like the California Legislature did here, 'as merely rhetorical – something insubstantial and even insincere,' is inappropriate for any entity charged with enacting fair and neutral laws," said Attorney General Paxton. "The law California opposes does not prevent anyone from contributing to child-welfare; in fact, it allows our state to partner with as many different agencies as possible to expand the number of safe and loving homes available to foster children. Boycotting states based on nothing more than political disagreement breaks down the ability of states to serve as laboratories of democracy while still working together as one nation—the very thing our Constitution intended to prevent."