Should City of Elk Grove Ban Employee Travel to Indiana? Does Our City Council Have The Courage to Take a Stand?

March 29, 2015 |

Call it the signature seen around the world.

During a private ceremony last week, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed the so-called  Religious Freedom Restoration Act into law. Almost immediately, the State of Indiana, businesses specifically, felt the effects.

Although there are differing opinions on what the actual implications of the law are, the public perception of the law has been cast, And those perceptions, especially from businesses, are uniformly negative.

While many large businesses have issued a variety statements from condemnation to outright promises to withdrawal of business, governments have also gotten into the act. Notable of those imposing economic sanctions of sorts are the cities of San Francisco and Seattle. 

San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee imposed a city wide employee ban on all non-essential travel to Indiana. Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, who is that city's first openly Gay mayor, imposed a similar ban.

While the bans from San Francisco obviously do not have the affect of say an NFL ban of the Super Bowl being played there, they are nonetheless important. They remind Indiana the effect of the legislation, and more importantly tell the people in the respective cities that they will not economically support, even in a minor way, a government that passes laws are being characterizing as the 21st Century Jim Crow Laws.   

Elk Grove, as we were reminded of as recent as last Friday during Elk Grove Mayor Gary Davis' State of the City Address, is by several measures one of the nation's most ethnically diverse city's. City leaders point with pride to the city's well regarded diversity and tout, as we should, our annual only-in-the-region Multi-Cultural Festival.

But how far is the Mayor and our City Council willing to express our commitment to diversity? Is the commitment just words in a campaign mailer, or are they really willing to take a stand?

That is a question posed to the Mayor and four Elk Grove Council Members in an email sent earlier today. Specifically, they were emailed the following:

"As the city council members of the region's second largest city, and recognized as one of the most diverse municipalities in the county, would you be willing to pass an ordinance/issue a directive similar to what San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee did last week? Lee ordered a ban on all city employee travel to Indiana unless it is necessary for public safety or health.  

Are any of you in support of something similar to Mayor Lee's ban?"

We look forward to hearing back from the Mayor and the city council to see how much they truly embrace their proclamations of diversity, and if those pledges extend to LGBT member of the Elk Grove Community.