Gov. Jay Inslee says state employees can travel to Indiana again.
Gov. Jay Inslee says state employees can travel to Indiana again. Office of Governor Jay Inslee

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has rescinded the ban he imposed Monday on any state-funded travel to Indiana.

The initial ban was in response to that state's controversial "religious freedom" law that could have allowed businesses to refuse service to LGBT people. Since then, Indiana Governor Mike Pence has signed an amended version of the law that prevents business owners from using Indiana's "Religious Freedom Restoration Act" (RFRA) as a legal defense for refusing to provide services.

"The new amendment prohibits businesses and individuals from refusing service or goods to potential clients based on that client’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or other characteristics," Inslee wrote in a notice to state cabinet members and department heads. "This is a promising step toward greater cultural inclusion and acceptance for LGBT communities."

But as Dan pointed out on Slog yesterday: It is still perfectly legal for business owners in Indiana to refuse service to LGBT customers almost everywhere in the state. That's why the president of Angie's List, one of the companies that strongly opposed Indiana's RFRA, dismissed the "fix" as "insufficient." LGBT activists in Indiana are now pushing for a statewide ban on anti-LGBT discrimination in the wake of the controversy over Indiana's RFRA.