Shumlin Bans State-Funded Trips to Indiana

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Created on Wednesday, 01 April 2015 15:15

Written by Taylor Young

MONTPELIER (AP) - Gov. Peter Shumlin announced the banning of all "non-essential" state-funded trips to Indiana.  The ban comes after the new religious-freedom law, which restricts the government from preventing someone from following or practicing their religious beliefs.

 State officials are restricting travel that would essentially be paid by taxpayers to Indiana. Governors of New York, Washington, and Connecticut have also enacted similar bans.

Because he felt that it is State's legacy to support equal rights, Shumlin invited a public employee union to hold its women's conference in Vermont after its cancellation in Indianapolis.

"Vermont was the first state to legislate marriage equally, Shumlin said, "simply because it was the right thing to do, not because a court mandated it."

The AP reported that Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said Tuesday that he wants legislation on his desk by the end of the week to clarify that the state's law does not allow discrimination against the gay and lesbian community.