Skip to main content

San Jose Mercury News Scott Herhold: California travel ban: Progress for LGBT

By Scott Herhold

Sometimes it takes criticism from another quarter to make you understand your own beliefs. That’s the way I feel about California’s ban on official travel to states that are seen as hostile to LGBT rights.

When California’s new law went into effect at the beginning of the year, it banned paid travel by state employees to Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee. I saw it as a symbolic move that did not offer much grist for a columnist. The culture wars tire me.

KQED: LGBT Caucus: Bigger and More Diverse Than Ever

South Bay Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Campbell) and Los Angeles Sen. Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) were in a mischievous mood when they stopped by KQED’s Sacramento bureau recently to talk about their paths to the State Legislature as openly gay men.

Low is chair of the Legislature’s LGBT caucus and Lara is vice chair. Both men arrived wearing appropriately lavender ties and Low playfully sat on Lara’s lap to pose for a photo.

Los Angeles Times: Meet the man driving the future of Uber and Lyft in the California Legislature

Uber and Lyft have had lots of success getting friendly laws passed at the state Capitol. For that, they can thank young, tech-friendly Democratic lawmakers, who have teamed up with Republicans who generally support fewer regulations. At the head of that coalition is Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Campbell), who co-founded the Legislature’s tech and millennial caucuses.

The 34-year-old Low, who was elected in 2014, has also written legislation to make it easier for the taxi industry to compete with ride-hailing companies.

Assemblymember Evan Low’s Statement Following State Budget Passage

SACRAMENTO—California Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Silicon Valley) released the following statement about the 2017-2018 California State Budget passage. The Budget expands social service programs, increases funding for education, and continues to build the Rainy Day reserve to avoid cuts in the future.