Council approves ban on city-employee travel to North Carolina

The city council today approved a protest against a recent North Carolina law lifting rights for transgender and gay residents in its cities: A ban on travel to the state by Boston city workers.

The measure, which now goes to Mayor Walsh for his consideration, has exemptions for public-safety and public-health workers who would have to travel there for law-enforcement or public-health reasons.

Councilor Josh Zakim (Fenway, Mission Hill, Beacon Hill, Back Bay), who proposed the measure, said he wanted to add Boston's voice against "some really outrageous actions taken in the state of North Carolina."

Councilor Tito Jackson (Roxbury) supported the measure, saying budgets reflect moral choices, and the council was voting against spending money with bigots.

Councilor Bill Linehan (South Boston, South End, Chinatown) did not vote against the measure - and said he appreciated Zakim's passion on the issue - but rose to caution councilors about going overboard on such protest measures. "There are numerous injustices going on, not only here in the United States, but also throughout the world," he said.

Last year, the council approved a similar ban on travel to Indiana.