Seattle's city employees will not be allowed to travel to Indiana for work purposes via city funding, the office of Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said Saturday. The news comes in the wake of  law S.B. 101, or the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, going through in Indiana. In a release, Murray said 'Seattle has been a leader in the fight to protect civil rights and ensure equality for all people – no matter who you are, or who you love. This is why I am ordering that none of our taxpayer dollars should go toward supporting this discriminatory law.' Scroll down for video . Issues: Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, left, plans to sign an executive order that 'will ban City employees from work-related and city-funded travel to the State of Indiana.' Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, right, defended the new state law on Sunday, and said it wasn't a mistake to have enacted it . The release said 'To formalize the Mayor's decision, he will be issuing an executive order next week. The order will ban City employees from work-related and city-funded travel to the State of Indiana.' Last week, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee also called SB 101 'discriminatory' in a Thursday statement. He said 'We stand united as San Franciscans to condemn Indiana's new discriminatory law, and will work together to protect the civil rights of all Americans including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. 'Effective immediately, I am directing City Departments under my authority to bar any publicly-funded City employee travel to the State of Indiana that is not absolutely essential to public health and safety.' Indiana Gov. Mike Pence defended the new state law that's garnered widespread criticism over concerns it could foster discrimination on Sunday, and said it wasn't a mistake to have enacted it. Pence appeared on ABC's 'This Week with George Stephanopoulos' to discuss the measure he signed last week prohibiting state laws that 'substantially burden" a person's ability to follow his or her religious beliefs. The definition of 'person' includes religious institutions, businesses and associations. Since the Republican governor signed the bill into law Thursday, Indiana has been widely criticized by businesses and organizations around the nation, as well as on social media with the hashtag (hash)boycottindiana. Already, consumer review service Angie's List has said it will suspend a planned expansion in Indianapolis because of the new law. Outrage: Since the Republican governor signed the bill into law Thursday, Indiana has been widely criticized by businesses and organizations around the nation . Changes: Already, consumer review service Angie's List has said it will suspend a planned expansion in Indianapolis because of the new law . Pence did not answer directly when asked at least six times whether under the law it would be legal for a merchant to refuse to serve gay customers. 'This is not about discrimination, this is about empowering people to confront government overreach,' he said. Asked again, he said, 'Look, the issue here is still is tolerance a two-way street or not.' Pence told the Indianapolis Star on Saturday that he was in discussions with legislative leaders over the weekend and expects a clarification bill to be introduced in the coming week. He addressed that Sunday, saying, 'if the General Assembly ... sends me a bill that adds a section that reiterates and amplifies and clarifies what the law really is and what it has been for the last 20 years, then I'm open to that.' But Pence was adamant that the measure, slated to take effect in July, will stick. 'We're not going to change this law,' Pence said. Some national gay-rights groups say it's a way for lawmakers in Indiana and several others states where such bills have been proposed this year to essentially grant a state-sanctioned waiver for discrimination as the nation's highest court prepares to mull the gay marriage question. Supporters of the law, including Pence, contend discrimination claims are overblown and insist it will keep the government from compelling people to provide services they find objectionable on religious grounds. They also maintain courts haven't allowed discrimination under similar laws covering the federal government and 19 other states. Arkansas is poised to follow in Indiana's footsteps, with a final vote expected next week in the House on legislation that Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson has said he'll sign. Josh Earnest, President Barack Obama's spokesman, appeared on 'This Week' just after Pence, and said the debate isn't a political argument. Thousands of opponents of Indiana Senate Bill 101, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act are seen Saturday on the lawn of the Indiana State House . 'If you have to go back two decades to try to justify what you're doing today, it may raise questions,' Earnest said, referring to the 1993 federal law Pence brought up. He added that Pence 'is in damage-control mode this morning and he's got some damage to fix.' State Rep. Ed DeLaney, an Indianapolis Democrat, told a large, boisterous crowd Saturday gathered outside of the Statehouse to protest that the law creates 'a road map, a path to discrimination.' Rally attendees chanted 'Pence must go!' several times and held signs that read 'No hate in our state.' Pence addressed the critics Sunday, saying: 'This avalanche of intolerance that's been poured on our state is just outrageous.' Asked if he would be willing to add sexual orientation to the list of characteristics against which discrimination is illegal, he said, 'I will not push for that. That's not on my agenda, and that's not been an objective of the people of the state of Indiana.' U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly, a Democrat, released a video statement on his Facebook page Saturday, saying: 'We'll work together to reverse SB101 and we'll stand together to make sure that here in Indiana, we welcome everyone, every day.' Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, a Republican who opposed the law, has said he and other city officials will talk with businesses and convention planners to counter the uproar. Angie's List had sought an $18.5 million incentive package from Indianapolis' City-County Council to add 1,000 jobs over five years. But founder and CEO Bill Oseterle said in a statement Saturday that the expansion was on hold 'until we fully understand the implications of the freedom restoration act on our employees.' The Indianapolis-based NCAA has expressed concerns about the law and has suggested it could move future events elsewhere; the men's Final Four will be held in the city next weekend.
Seattle's city employees will not be allowed to travel to Indiana for work purposes via city funding, the office of Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said . The news comes in the wake of Indiana passing law S.B. 101, or the Religious Freedom Restoration Act . Murray said in a statement 'Seattle has been a leader in the fight to protect civil rights and ensure equality for all people'
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence defended the new state law on Sunday, and said it wasn't a mistake to have enacted it . Since bill was signed into law, Indiana has been widely criticized by businesses and organizations around the nation and on social media .