As 2024 approaches, several regulations regarding the LGBTQ+ program and children are expected to come into force. This includes laws prohibiting transgender people from caring for minors. From California to Ohio, here’s a roundup of the laws on this issue set to go into effect in the recent year.
Louisiana
Louisiana will join more than 20 other states with laws banning experimental, irreversible, so-called “gender-affirming” care for minors. This includes puberty blocking drugs, hormone therapy and gender reassignment surgery. This ban will come into force on January 1, 2024.
According to PBS, the “Republican-dominated” state Legislature overrode a veto of the legislation issued by outgoing Democratic Gov. John Bela Edwards. The state Legislature reportedly held a one-day veto session, the third since 1974, and was the second session in which lawmakers managed to defeat the governor.
“I think that in this case, following the passage of this bill by other Southern states, lawmakers are putting politics ahead of people without considering the practical implications of the bill,” Edwards said in a veto message. “I strongly believe that the legislator has exceeded its powers and is interfering in key health care decisions that should only be made by parents in consultation with their children and their doctors and psychologists.”
Still, several Democrats voted with Republicans to override the veto, including Rep. Roy Daryl Adams of Jackson, Rep. Robby Carter of Amite, Rep. Chad Brown of Plaquemines, Rep. Mack Cormier of Belle Chasse, Rep. C. Travis Johnson Vidalia, Rep. Dustin Miller of Opelousas and Sen. Katrina Jackson of Monroe and Sen. Greg Tarver of Shreveport, according to Highlighter from Louisiana.
“Today, for the second time, my veto was overturned on a bill that unnecessarily harms a very small population of vulnerable children, their families and health care workers. I expect the courts will also strike down this unconstitutional bill,” Edwards said in response to lawmakers overriding his veto.
California
The recent law, which goes into effect in the Golden State on Jan. 1, will require some stores that sell children’s products to have a gender-neutral section.
According to the California government websitethe law will require a department store physically located in California and employing a total of 500 or more employees at all California department store locations selling child care items or toys to maintain a gender-neutral section or area to be labeled at the retailer’s discretion retail store that will display a reasonable selection of children’s items and toys that it sells, whether traditionally marketed to girls or boys.
Starting in January, stores that fail to comply with the law will be subject to “a civil penalty not to exceed $250 for a first violation or $500 for a subsequent violation.”
Illinois
Illinois House Bill 2789 goes into effect on January 1. The legislation is the first state law in the nation to prohibit state-funded libraries from “banning” books based on “religious or partisan disapproval.” ABC7 Chicago.
House Bill 2789 reportedly declares that it is state policy to “encourage and protect the freedom of libraries and library systems to acquire materials without external restrictions and to protect against attempts to ban, remove, or otherwise restrict access to books or other materials.”
Additionally, the law requires libraries and library systems to adopt the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights or other written statement prohibiting the practice of banning books or other materials.
This “banned books” legislation being pushed by Democrats comes as parents have raised alarm about inappropriate books aimed at children making their way into libraries.
On the other hand…
Iowa
An Iowa law that was scheduled to go into effect on Monday to ban certain books in schools, particularly those containing sexually explicit content, was blocked by a court on Friday. According to ABC 6by law, schools will have to remove these books from classrooms and provide an updated list of all books twice a year. If a school fails to comply with this requirement, the state Department of Education will provide the school with a written warning.
In a statement, Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds reportedly said: “We are going off course, our children and our teachers deserve better. They deserve tools to help these kids succeed. No damn distraction from a nasty porn book that should never, ever be in the classroom.
“Individuals will be held accountable for books on their shelves that may not meet the specific requirements of the law,” said Mike Beranek, president of the Iowa State Education Association, adding, according to We are Iowa.
“This could mean the possible loss of licenses if they are found to be illegal, which could ultimately result in termination of employment and inability to work in our public schools,” Beranek continued.
Additionally, the state Board of Education is reportedly planning to introduce a rule that would prohibit teachers from teaching children in kindergarten through sixth grade about sexual orientation and gender identity.
Ohio
Also on Friday, Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed a measure aimed at protecting women’s sports and children from harmful transgender treatments and surgeries, which Townhall handled.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine rejected the Youth Experimentation Protection Act and the Women’s Sports Act after the Ohio Legislature passed them earlier this month. The legislation could still become law if the Ohio House and Senate override the veto by a three-fifths vote.
In Friday’s remarks, DeWine said that if the bill were to become law, “Ohio would say that the state and the government know better what is medically best for a child than the two people who love that child most: the parents.”
Idaho
In a similar move, an Idaho law that was set to go into effect on Jan. 1 to protect children from irreversible, experimental gender treatments was blocked this week by a federal judge, something Townhall also dealt with.
District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill issued the decision Wednesday, arguing that legal restrictions on this type of care for minors violate the U.S. Constitution, according to ABC news.
“Transgender children should be treated equally under the law,” Winmill reportedly stated in its decision. “Parents should have the right to make the most basic decisions about the care of their children.”
“These cases demonstrate time and time again that the primary role of the Fourteenth Amendment is to protect discriminated against minorities and protect our fundamental rights from legislative abuse… and this is no less true for transgender children and their parents in the 21st century,” he added. .
Republican Governor Brad Little signed HB 71, known as Act on the protection of vulnerable childrenentered into force in April. Any doctor convicted of providing this type of care could face a criminal conviction and imprisonment for up to 10 years. At least 20 other states have implemented such restrictions on so-called “gender-affirming” care.
