Louisiana Legislature overrides governor’s veto, enacts law banning gender-affirming care for minors

A bill banning gender-affirming care for minors will become law after Louisiana lawmakers overrode the governor’s veto Tuesday.

The House and Senate voted 76-23 and 28-11, respectively, to override, CNN reports.

Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoed House Bill 648 along with two other bills related to LGBT issues in June.

In a veto letter, Edwards claimed the bill, called the “Stop Harming Our Kids Act,” wasn’t supported by data and would be difficult to enforce.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Gabe Firment, R-Pollock, disagreed, emphasizing the importance of protecting children from life-altering treatments.

“Today was a huge win for the children of Louisiana!” Firment wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday. “I’m proud of my colleagues in the state legislature for standing up to protect children of our great state. We made it clear today that our children are worth fighting for.”

Under the new law, healthcare professionals are prohibited from performing gender-altering surgeries and providing hormone treatments to minors under 18. Healthcare professionals found in violation will have their license revoked for at least two years.

The law is scheduled to take effect Jan 1. Minors already on gender-affirming medication may continue to receive medication the following year, if it’s determined immediately stopping usage would cause harm.

Louisiana joins at least 20 other states that have banned or restricted gender-altering treatments for minors.