Council votes to ban government travel to N.C., Miss.

Update, 4/13: Cincinnati City Council, in a 7-2 vote, banned all unnecessary to travel to North Carolina and Mississippi after those states passed laws that are seen as discriminatory against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Councilman Chris Seelbach proposed the idea and defended it when Councilman Charlie Winburn asked what he hoped to accomplish.

“Anti-gay legislation will not be tolerated by the City of Cincinnati,” Seelbach said.

Original story published 4/11: A Cincinnati City Council committee paved the way for the city to ban travel to two states that passed laws seen as allowing discrimination.

Council voted 6-2 to ban all non-essential city-funded or city-sponsored travel to the states of North Carolina and Mississippi after those states passed laws that discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Voting against the measure: Republicans Charlie Winburn and Amy Murray. Councilman Kevin Flynn abstained because Mississippi was added to the ordinance at the last minute and he didn't have time to review that state's law.

The full council will take up the matter Wednesday. Flynn is expected to add his support.

"I am hopeful that the people of North Carolina and Mississippi will reconsider and repeal these two misguided and regressive laws," said councilman Chris Seelbach, who championed the move. "Until then, Cincinnati joins dozens of U.S. states and cities preventing our tax dollars from supporting state governments that have passed laws to discriminate against LGBT people."

The city of Dayton banned travel to North Carolina and Mississippi last week; Cuyahoga County has also banned travel to North Carolina.

At issue is a Mississippi law that allows people and groups with religious objections to refuse service to gay people, and a North Carolina law that prevents transgender people from using the restroom of his or her preference.

The Associated Press contributed