Three years ago, in January, Gov. Kevin Stitt issued an executive order banning almost all state-funded travel to California. The governor’s order was tersely written and to the point.

“California and its elected officials over the past few years have banned travel to the State of Oklahoma in an effort to politically threaten and intimidate Oklahomans for their personal values,” the governor said in a media statement announcing the ban. “Enough is enough. If California’s elected officials don’t want public employees traveling to Oklahoma, I am eager to return the gesture on behalf of Oklahoma’s pro-life stance. I am proud to be Governor of a state that fights for the most vulnerable among us, the unborn.”

Why did Gov. Kevin Stitt issue a travel ban to California?

The governor’s order was a response to California Gov. Gavin Newsom and to an action taken by the city of San Francisco in 2019. That order, Stitt said, banned city-paid travel to Oklahoma, “citing Oklahoma’s law that protect and ensure the right of an unborn child’s life.”

Stitt’s order banned all nonessential travel to California for all Oklahoma state employees and officers of agencies that was paid for by the state. The governor’s order also carved out exceptions for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and college and high school athletic teams or other teams “to participate in programs, events, or competitions taking place in California.”

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Stitt said the exemption for the Commerce Department was for “the agency to continue its recruitment efforts to bring more job creators to the business-friendly state of Oklahoma.”

On March 29, the governor reaffirmed this order with yet another executive order that said the travel ban shall remain in full force and effect.

Gov. Kevin Stitt traveled to California in September

Then in September, Stitt went to California.

Documented by a posting from his own account on X, previously known as Twitter, the governor said, “I recently traveled to California to accept Live Action’s Life Award recognizing the pro-life work we’ve done.”

That event, the Live Action Life Awards Gala, was held Sept. 23 in Dana Point, California.

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Stitt’s trip is now raising questions. While executive orders are similar to statutes, they are typically issued to protect the public or respond to emergencies. However, gubernatorial executive orders are considered law until they expire and legal experts say a violation can mean civil sanctions or criminal penalties.

On Wednesday, Stitt’s spokesman, Abegail Cave, said the governor’s trip was not funded with state funds. Cave said the governor’s travel and accommodations were paid for by the group LiveAction.

“The governor did not violate his executive order as no state funds were used for this trip,” Cave wrote in an email to The Oklahoman.” The governor continues to believe that taxpayer dollars from hard-working Oklahomans should not go to states that are hostile toward our pro-family value.”