Town Crier “Briefs from the Region” (2) – 7/1/21
California has blocked state-funded travel to Montana over the passage of Montana’s House Bill 112 and Senate Bill 215, which California General Attorney Rob Bonta called “dangerous” and “discriminatory” in the Montana lawmakers’ effort to restrict the rights of the LGBTQ community. The bills, passed in this year’s legislative session, ban transgender women from participating in school athletics and establish the “Religious Freedom Restoration Act,” which says a state cannot hinder a person’s ability to exercise religion. Sen. Bryce Bennett of Missoula, an opponent of both bills, warned that this move by California is a clear warning of an economic fallout spurred by social-issue bills that the “GOP pushed this session,” he told KBZK. Alongside Montana, state-funded travel from California is also banned to Arkansas, Florida, North Dakota and West Virginia for similar reasons.
