California is going to restrict state-funded travel to Ohio starting on Thursday because of a new Ohio law allows doctors to deny medical care based on personal beliefs.
The state budget includes a “medical conscience” clause allowing health care workers to deny treatments they feel violate their beliefs. After he signed the budget, I asked Gov. Mike DeWine whether he was afraid the new law would discriminate against LGBTQ Ohioans.
“People are not going to be discriminated against in regard to medical care. We have a vibrant medical care system in the state of Ohio.”
But advocates strongly disagree. And the state of California is now joining them, making Ohio the 18th state to which California will no longer allow state funded travel. In recent months, Ohio has been spending millions, advertising widely to young entrepreneurs in the Golden State and others to try to get them to relocate here. It’s unclear what effect, if any, this new law will have on that effort.
Read the news release from California Attorney General Rob Bontahere.