It comes two days after the Indiana governor signed an amended version of the controversial bill.
Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.
Jessica Hill / AP
Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy on Saturday lifted the ban on taxpayer-funded travel between his state and Indiana, two days after Gov. Mike Pence signed an amended religious freedom bill into law.
Malloy had ordered the ban on state-funded travel to Indiana on Monday in response to that state's passing of a Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) that critics said would permit discrimination against LGBT individuals.
Numerous other states, cities, corporations, and celebrities soon joined a national boycott against Indiana -- a backlash that eventually prompted Pence to urge lawmakers to "fix" the law.
On Thursday, Pence signed into law a revised version of the bill, which included language stating that the law cannot be used to discriminate.
Malloy said he was satisfied the law had been sufficiently amended.
"Today I am lifting the ban on state funded travel to Indiana, because I believe the change enacted by the Indiana legislature sufficiently clarifies, in our interpretation, that the law cannot be used to invite discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity," he said.
"In 2015, we cannot, and should not, tolerate laws that open the door to discrimination against citizens. We need to actively stand up to them – and that's what we did this week," Malloy said. "We are gratified that several other states, businesses, trade organizations, and so many stood with us, and we are pleased that numerous states besides Indiana have sought or are seeking changes in their laws with the specific aim of preventing discrimination."
Washington and New York both also ordered state-funded travel bans to Indiana. BuzzFeed News is awaiting comment from those state's administrations as to whether they too will lift their bans.
Malloy vowed that Connecticut would "continue to monitor other states that enact reforms similar to the original Indiana RFRA."
"We cannot watch states pass laws that seek to turn back the clock either on Connecticut residents, or our fellow Americans," he said. "We have an obligation to do what's right, and to protect against discrimination whenever and wherever we see it."
LINK: Boycott Against Indiana’s Religious Freedom Law Grows Across U.S.
LINK: Indiana Governor Signs Revised Religious Freedom Bill
from BuzzFeed - USNews http://ift.tt/19Swmp1
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