Summit County Executive Russ Pry is barring county employees from traveling to North Carolina for business because of the state’s new law affecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
“If that’s the way you’re going to treat people in your state, we’re not going to do business in your state,” Jason Dodson, Pry’s chief of staff, said Friday.
The policy prohibits about 900 county employees who work under Pry from taking part in any business activities in the state. It does not affect vacations or personal time.
Dodson could not say how often or how many county workers travel to North Carolina for conferences or other business.
The county executive would enact a similar ban for any state with such a law, he said.
Summit County is one of many entities and businesses that are taking a stand against the North Carolina law, which prohibits local governments from enacting anti-discrimination laws and requires public schools and government agencies to limit multistall bathrooms to people of the same biological sex.
Cuyahoga County, Atlanta, New York City, New York state, San Francisco, Seattle and Boston are among the governments that also have barred official travel.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ.