California bans state employees from traveling to Texas over bill that protects faith-based adoption agencies

California has banned state employees from traveling to Texas on official business in protest to a recently passed legislation that protects faith-based adoption agencies from being penalized for operating in accordance with their religious beliefs.

Earlier this month, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott approved a measure that allows faith-based adoption agencies to decline services to certain families due to "sincerely held religious beliefs."

On Thursday, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced that it has added Texas to its restricted travel list because of the new law, which he deemed to be discriminatory against members of the LGBT community. Alabama and South Dakota have also been added to the list due to similar adoption-related laws, while Kentucky was included because of a bill that allows student-run organizations in schools to select only members and leaders that are "committed to its mission."

"I am announcing today that I am adding four states to the list of states where California-funded or sponsored travel will be restricted on account of the discriminatory nature of laws enacted by those states," the attorney general said in a statement, according to Christian News Network.

"While the California DOJ works to protect the rights of all our people, discriminatory laws in any part of our country send all of us several steps back. That's why when California said we would not tolerate discrimination against LGBTQ members of our community, we meant it," he added.

California lawmakers passed a measure last year that prohibits non-essential travel to states that enforce laws that are deemed to be discriminatory against the LGBT community.

North Carolina was added to the list after the state enacted the controversial "bathroom bill," which required individuals to use bathrooms in public building that correspond to their birth gender. Other states that are already on the list are Kansas, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Becerra's spokesman has not given an example of travel that would be blocked, and no information has been provided about how often state employees have visited the newly banned states.

Those exempted from the travel restrictions include law enforcement officers, tax auditors and those who will attend training events that are required for grants. According to The Sacramento Bee, California's tax-collecting Board of Equalization has an office in Houston.

In response to the ban, Abbott's spokesman, John Wittman, issued a statement, saying, "California may be able to stop their state employees, but they can't stop all the businesses that are fleeing over taxation and regulation and relocating to Texas."