Louisiana's Republican-majority House has voted to override Democrat Governor John Bel Edwards' veto of a bill banning sex change procedures for minors.
House Bill 648, or the Stop Harming Our Kids Act, bans doctors from performing sex change procedures on minors or prescribing hormones and puberty blockers.
On Tuesday, the Louisiana House of Representatives voted 75-23 to override the veto. Now, it will head to the state Senate, which also has a Republican majority and needs 26 votes to pass.
According to a report from the Louisiana Illuminator, Democrat Reps. Roy Daryl Adams of Jackson, Robby Carter of Amite, Chad Brown of Plaquemines, Mack Cormier of Belle Chasse, C. Travis Johnson of Vidalia, Dustin Miller of Opelousas and Sens. Katrina Jackson of Monroe and Greg Tarver of Shreveport crossed party lines, and voted for the override.
The governor signed the veto on June 29th, claiming that it tramples on "parental rights" and "denies healthcare to a very small, unique, and vulnerable group of children." He claimed that child sex changes are not happening in the state, and that claims to the contrary are "propaganda and misinformation generated by national interest groups."
Days before the vote, Republican state Rep. Gabe Firment, who sponsored the bill, said they he expected to have the numbers to override the veto in both the House and Senate.
"It will be a tremendous honor for me to join my colleagues from both chambers of the Legislature at the state capitol next week for a historic veto override session," Firment wrote. "The people of Louisiana have made it clear that the children of our great state are worth fighting for, and it is my firm expectation that we will override the governor's veto of HB648 that simply protects kids from irreversible experimental medical interventions." My official statement on next week's veto session. #HB648 #lalege pic.twitter.com/vxMn8iV1LW
— State Representative Gabe Firment (@FirmentGabe) July 14, 2023
The lawmaker continued, "Every single southern state has already passed similar legislation to protect their children — we cannot allow Louisiana to become a sanctuary state for the sterilization of innocent children."
Governor Edwards said that he hopes the courts will throw out the bill.
“The first time I was overridden, on the Congressional district map, I said the bill was illegal and I expected the courts would throw it out. The courts have done so,” Edwards said. “Today, I was overridden for the second time, on my veto of a bill that needlessly harms a very small population of vulnerable children, their families and their health care professionals. I expect the courts to throw out this unconstitutional bill, as well.”
