Written by T. Logan Dayne
California State Sen. Scott Weiner, known most recently for legislation which significantly eases penalties for sex-offenders and banning SF contracts with the majority of the nation when he was on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, is now pushing legislation in an effort to make California a sanctuary state for LBGTQ2IA+ individuals living in Texas and Florida.
The bill is being introduced after the passing of the misunderstood and often unread bill which was recently passed in Florida, which prohibited the teaching of gender and sex orientation and identities for children in Kindergarten through 3rd grade and “in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.” The bill which aimed at protecting children was misnamed as the “Don’t Say Gay Bill” by opponents against the protection of children.
The bill is being presented as a way to “protect and provide refuge for transgender kids and their parents if they flee to California.” The bill would do this by preventing California Courts from enforcing any out-of-state court ruling denying parents custody for allowing trans kids “gender-affirming care”, block California agencies from complying with out-of-state subpoenas, and declare low priority statues for California law enforcement any out-of-state arrest warrant linked to someone receiving “gender-affirming care”.
This is seen by a move by many to get people to return to California. The state in the last census lost a seat for the first time since its introduction to the Union. Many have fled to more opportunistic and less regulatory states in the preceding years, with businesses such as Tesla moving their main production out of California to Texas. Gov. Gavin Newsom seems to endorse the idea and pleaded with Disney to bring back jobs to California because it is “the state that actually represents the values” of workers. The California Governor has been active on sites such as Twitter ranting about Texas and Florida while also trying to push out his controversial gun policies, which he also listed as reasons for people to return or seek refuge in California from.
Photo Cred: Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters
