Mayor snubs christening over MS law

Mayor Charlie Hales of Portland, Ore., has canceled his trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast’s christening of his city’s namesake amphibious transport dock ship because of the Magnolia State’s recent enactment of a law he deems anti-gay. USS Portland will be christened in Pascagoula on May 21. Hales also temporarily banned city travel to Mississippi until the law is overturned. The ship will be commissioned in Portland at an undetermined date in the future. (Source: Mississippi Business Journal 04/14/16 and KOIN 04/06/16)