INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Whether a ban all gender-affirming care for minors will become law in Indiana remains unclear after the state’s Republican governor said Tuesday that the bill on his desk is “clear as mud.”
The bill Republican state lawmakers advanced last week would prohibit transgender youth under 18 from accessing hormone therapies, puberty blockers and surgeries in the state.
“It wasn’t part of my agenda,” Gov. Eric Holcomb told reporters Tuesday. “I’ve told some people very close to me: This is clear as mud. There’s some vagueness to it. So I want to make sure I completely understand.”
Holcomb can sign or veto the legislation before a Wednesday deadline, or allow it become law by doing nothing. The ban would take effect July 1. Trans youth currently taking medication to transition would have until the end of the year to stop doing so.
At least 11 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors, but federal judges have blocked them in two states. Around two dozen other states are considering bills to restrict or ban care.
The bill banning gender-affirming care in Indiana won approval by wide margins in both the House and Senate. Indiana lawmakers can override a governor’s veto by a simple majority vote.
In March 2022, Holcomb vetoed a bill banning transgender girls from participating in girls school sports. The Republican-dominated Legislature later voted to override his veto, and the measure became law anyway.
The governor appeared to rule out letting the bill become law passively.
“I have made it a habit to either sign or veto bills, and I suspect that habit will continue,” he said Tuesday. “Obviously, every word matters in Indiana’s bill, and that’s why I’m taking the time to go through it piece by piece.”
5 comments
Holcomb is a coward RINO. He shies away from making the hard decisions. He will never get my vote. Same goes for Mitch’s boy, Todd Young. RINOs are worse than Democrats.
Yes they are worse than Marxicrats because they are traitors to the base, and the CONSTITUTION. Gender affirming care is a euphemism for cutting of genitals and other body parts. It’s sort of like calling killing babies women’s health care. Someone always dies. Suicides among the mutilated are very high. altering the body you were born with because you are confused doesn’t solve you problems. Instead of pushing these surgeries on minors we should get them care for their gender confusion instead. Large percentages of kids who have been convinced they are the opposite sex grow out of it. Will never vote for Toady Young or Dopey Prince Eric the Chinless Wonder of Hoosierville. Remember when you are forced to comply with the next state health department edict that The Dopey Prince pushed massive spending on that system. Make sure you vote for a Sheriff that believes in the Constitution so those edicts can be resisted.
Horrible use of the word CARE!
Holcomb is a Uni-party imbecile , much like Todd Young. We’ll soon be under communist control because of cowards like these.
Holcomb is fine with the abuse and mutilation of children. Apparently, he actually believes that men can become women and vice versa. We can’t be rid of him soon enough.