(Bill Feig/The Advocate via AP, Pool, File)
Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards said he’s disappointed but not surprised the Republican led Legislature overturned his veto of a bill that bans doctors from performing medical procedures on children that could alter their biological sex. Despite the defeat, Edwards stands by his veto.
“At the end of the day, I just don’t believe state government is competent to interject itself into what ought to be decisions that are made inside families.”
Edwards said the legislation harms a very small population of vulnerable children, their families, and health care professionals, but the bill’s author, Pollock Representative Gabe Firment, said his legislation protects kids who might be temporarily confused about their biological sex.
“Giving kids drugs that essentially cause chemical castration, sterilization, impact the development of bones and brains, that’s not health care.”
75 House members and 26 Senators voted to override the governor’s veto, but Edwards said there are Republicans who have privately acknowledged problems with the legislation but had to vote in favor of the override to satisfy their party leaders.
“I’m absolutely convinced that, had the members of the legislature, house and senate, voted in accordance with what they really believe, there would not have been a two-thirds vote.”
Edwards also said the legislation is unconstitutional and points to rulings made before federal judges that support his argument, but Firment said appellate courts have disagreed with the district court judges’ decisions.
“We’ve seen that the only appellate court decision that’s come down thus far has put Tennessee and Kentucky’s law into effect.”
Louisiana’s law is set to go into effect on January 1st.
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