Oklahoma Governor Bans State-Funded Travel To California

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has issued an executive order banning state-funded travel to California. The governor's office sent out a new release stating the executive order was in response to what Stitt called California's effort to "politically threaten and intimidate Oklahomans for their personal values."

The City of San Francisco banned city-paid travel to Oklahoma last October because of the state's stance on pro-life laws, the release said.

"Enough is enough. If California’s elected officials don’t want public employees traveling to Oklahoma, I am eager to return the gesture on behalf of Oklahoma’s pro-life stance. I am proud to be Governor of a state that fights for the most vulnerable among us, the unborn,” Gov. Stitt said.

Executive order 2020-02 bans all non-essential travel to California for all state employees and some agencies supported by the state.

The executive order provides an exemption to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce traveling for business-recruiting purposes.