California blocked state-sponsored travel to Georgia.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced on August 19 that he was immediately suspending state-funded travel to Georgia.

Bonta called Georgia’s recently passed education bill, House Bill 1084, “transphobic.” California’s list now includes 22 states. Arizona will be added to the list in late September.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed the new law in April. The law—known as the “Students First Act”—essentially prohibits classroom instruction such as teaching children in the United States that it is inherently racist and that people are inherently or knowingly racist and oppressive because of their race.

Lawmakers also included a provision that would allow the state committee to adopt a Georgia High School Athletic Association policy that prohibits biological boys from participating in girls’ school sports. The athletic association revised its bylaws in May to require student-athletes to compete according to the gender listed on their birth certificates.

“Banning transgender youth from playing sports is not only discriminatory, it’s government overreach — and it’s happening in states across the country,” Bonta said in a statement. “Instead of protecting individual liberties, state legislatures are going out of their way to create problems and target children’s rights. It is misuse of public resources. California declined to participate.

California is restricted from funding state-sponsored travel under Assembly Bill 1887, a law that prohibits state employees, agencies, commissions, officers, and members from traveling to the country with laws against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

The Georgia governor’s office responded to Bonta’s announcement, telling The Epoch Times the ban will have little effect.

“Unless the Attorney General plans to block Bonta companies and film projects from moving from California to Georgia, this will have no impact on our state,” a spokesman for Gov. Kemp said Aug. 22. “Georgia is the No. 1 state to do business because companies know they are treated fairly here, and it increases the fairness girls and their parents can expect when they compete in sports.

“Someone should be sure to warn Gavin Newsom of this ban because of his desire to become the 2024 candidate at the Democratic National Convention, who is taking Atlanta seriously as a host city,” the spokesperson said.

The Democratic National Committee is considering four cities — Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and New York — as finalists for the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

California state officials are barred from using state funds to travel to the two cities, Atlanta and Houston.

Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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