GOP pulls back (some) on anti-trans bill

The GOP leges in Frankfort can’t seem to make up their mind on how far they want to take their anti-trans legislation.

First, they rolled Max Wise’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill (SB 150) into the big anti-trans bill in the House, HB 470, as well as adding language about bathroom use. As Chris Hartman said in an email update, HB 470 was now the “no healthcare, no bathrooms, no pronouns, don’t say gay or trans” bill.

Then, after the bill got its second reading in the Senate (it has already passed the House), it went to the Senate committee on Families and Children. There, it got another committee sub, with even stronger language going after health care providers, calling them “unethical and unprofessional” if they provide gender-transition services to a minor.

The bill needed six votes to get out of committee, and it got just those six, with Raque Adams, Girdler, Tichenor, Westerfield, Wise, and Carroll voting Yea, and Harper Angel, Meredith, and Webb voting Nay.

The chair of that committee, Danny Carroll, commented that he didn’t like the bill (even though he voted for it), and hoped it would be changed. Last night, he decided to act on that hope, filing a floor amendment that would remove much of the bill’s provisions. Carroll’s amendment still bans gender surgery for minors, but allows the use of “reversible puberty-blocking drugs” with parental consent.

The amendment also removes much of the language and provisions aimed at health care professionals. In all, Carroll’s amendment removes about 30 pages of the original bill.

Even with Carroll’s amendment, the bill still contains the “don’t say gay/trans” provision, as well as the “bathroom bill” provision. And, the bill still limits what students can see or discuss in class around sexuality.

The bill is now headed back to the Senate floor, with a total (for now) of five floor amendments.

--30--