JAY INSLEE 
Governor

STATE OF WASHINGTON
Office of the Governor

March 31,2015

 

TO: All Executive Cabinet and Small Agency Head
FROM: Jay Inslee, Governor

SUBJECT: PROHIBITIN PUBLIC TRAVEL TO INDIANA

Washington State has a strong history of prohibiting discrimination and promoting diversity and
inclusion. Our Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD), Ch. 49.60 RCW, guarantees
for all Washingtonians the right to be free from discrimination because of race, creed, color,
national origin, sex, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation, or the
presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or
service animal by a person with a disability.

Recently, Indiana passed legislation that will allow private companies to discriminate against
individuals in that state, including but not limited to Washington citizens traveling to Indiana for
work related purposes, contrary to the protections of the WLAD.

It is the law of Washington State and the policy of my administration to demand equality for all
persons. Consequently, I hereby order that no executive cabinet-level agency or small cabinet
agency shall allow publicly funded non-essential travel to the state of Indiana so long as the
recently approved Religious Freedom Restoration Act, IC 34-13-9 exists in its current form. I
invite all other statewide elected of?cials, institutions of higher education, agencies, boards, and
commissions to follow the provisions of this directive.

PO. Box 40002 0 Olympia, Washington 98504-0002 0 (360) 902-4111 - h,