California Democratic Leader Proposed Lifting Red State Travel Ban a Day Before Newsom Announced Red State Tour

A prominent California Democrat recently proposed lifting the state-wide ban on travel to Republican-led states. Senate leader Toni Atkins (D.) suggested the repeal the day prior to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement of his $10 million red state campaign, which includes visits to Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi. Atkins introduced a measure to repeal a 2016 law prohibiting California officials from traveling to states that “discriminate” against gay and transgender individuals. While a spokesperson for Newsom stated that the governor was not involved in proposed legislation, the timing of the two announcements suggests a change in the Democratic leadership’s approach to red states.

This change in approach is evidenced by Newsom’s recent signing of a bill aimed at encouraging LGBT individuals from Republican-led states to seek refuge in California, as well as recent efforts by Rep. Adam Schiff (D., Calif.) and Newsom to fundraise in red states.

Initially, the travel ban was deployed as a way of pressuring states that enforced anti-LGBT policies to change. However, this law failed, and several states were added to the list of banned regions, causing complications for activities such as college sports travel and public university research collaborations.

Atkins hopes that repealing the travel ban will improve inclusivity and discourage discrimination, which in turn could have a positive impact on California’s reputation and standing as a national leader of inclusivity.

Newsom’s Campaign for Democracy PAC has taken a more forceful approach, labeling Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R.), Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R.), and House majority leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) as threats to democracy. Newsom’s website pledges to organize an aggressive campaign through 2024 targeted at Republicans and accuses Republican leaders of employing fear-mongering tactics to foment division and maintain control.

Despite these efforts, California sees a mass exodus of people who disagree with the state’s strict lockdown policies, school closures, and high cost of living. Moreover, a recent poll showed that Californians do not want Newsom to run for President.