A Texas lawmaker warned Citigroup Friday that it would file a bill to prevent the bank from issuing municipal bonds in the state unless it repeals its policy on travel expenses for workers who go out of state to request an abortion.
State Representative Briscoe Cain, a Republican from the Houston area, wrote on Facebook and Twitter that the bill would prohibit local governments from doing business with a company “that pays abortion-related expenses for its employees or that offers abortion coverage as an employee benefit.” had sent one stop-and-stop letter to Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser, who called the policy an “abuse of shareholder money.”
Citigroup said in a filing Tuesday that it would offer travel benefits to workers seeking abortions outside of their state, “in response to changes in reproductive health care laws in certain states.” Last year, Texas passed a law banning abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy. The law came into effect in September.
Citigroup has 8,500 employees in Texas. Other companies including: Sales team and Uberhave also announced policies that violate the abortion law.
Mr. Cain also promised to propose legislation that, if passed, would empower prosecutors from anywhere in the state to sue a company that violated the abortion law if the local prosecutor did not take action.
Representatives for Citigroup could not be reached for comment Friday evening.
