Louisiana's Republican-controlled House of Representatives has voted to override the veto of Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards on a bill that prohibits sex reassignment surgeries and treatments for minors.
The bill, known as the Stop Harming Our Kids Act or House Bill 648, would prevent doctors in Louisiana from performing gender-reassignment surgeries and prescribing or administering hormones and puberty blockers to minors. The House voted 75-23 in favor of the override, with the bill now requiring at least 26 votes in the state Senate to pass.
Republican state Representative Gabe Firment, the sponsor of the bill, expressed confidence in its success, citing the GOP majorities in both chambers. In a statement, Firment said, "Thanks to the bipartisan support of the Louisiana State Senate, we are one step closer to protecting children in Louisiana from experimental chemical and surgical sex change procedures.
HB648 has passed both chambers of the state legislature with veto-proof majorities, and the people of Louisiana have made it clear that our children are worth fighting for."
Governor Edwards vetoed the bill on June 29, arguing that it infringes on "parental rights" and denies healthcare to a small and vulnerable group of children. He maintained that sex-change surgeries on minors are not taking place in Louisiana and accused national interest groups of spreading "propaganda and misinformation" to fuel support for the bill.
In addition to House Bill 648, Governor Edwards also vetoed two other bills. House Bill 81, which would require educators to use students' pronouns associated with their sex at birth, failed to override the veto with a 67-29 vote in the House. House Bill 466, which would ban discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation in K-12 classrooms, was also vetoed by the governor.
The fate of House Bill 648 now rests with the state Senate, where it will require a minimum of 26 votes to pass and become law.
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