California's ban on state-funded travel to Texas over laws it says discriminate against LGBTQ people will not affect the Sept. 9 football game between the University of Texas and San Jose State.
On Thursday, California blocked nonessential state travel to Texas over a law passed this session allowing adoption and foster care agencies to reject prospective parents based on religious beliefs. California law does not allow tax money to reimburse travel to states with laws “enacted to void or repeal discrimination protections.”
According to the Athletics’ Media Relations Office for San Jose State, the travel ban will not apply to the Longhorns-Spartans game in Austin because California law allows for contractual obligations signed before Jan. 1 to go forward.
California's attorney general also added Alabama, South Dakota and Kentucky to its state travel ban Thursday. Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee were already on that list.
Cal-Berkeley has already canceled plans for basketball games against the University of Kansas.
The nonpartisan Texas Freedom Network warned participation by California Pac-12 schools in NCAA competitions in Texas, such as the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio and Sun Bowl in El Paso, could be threatened.
Tourism could also take a big hit, said Jessica Shortall, managing director with Texas Competes, a group of business leaders that support LGBTQ rights in the state.
"Losses in this industry have real impacts on Texans, with ripple effects felt by small businesses, workers, and local and state budgets," she said. "To ignore or belittle the risks to this industry is to ignore both the health of the state budget and the countless small businesses and families that rely on a thriving tourism economy to stay afloat."
