Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed a bill Monday that would have prohibited educators from using pronouns that don’t correspond with a student’s biological sex.
Under SB 1001, educators could not use a students’ preferred pronouns or transgender name without parental permission. The bill passed the state Senate in March in a 16-12 vote and the state House in May, 31-27, before being vetoed by Hobbs. (RELATED: Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs Vetoes Bill That Would Have Banned CRT From Classrooms)
“As politicians across the country continue to pass harmful legislation directed at transgender youth, I have a clear message to the people of Arizona: I will veto every bill that aims to attack and harm children,” Hobbs said in a Monday announcement.
The bill only applied to students under 18 and required educators to use what name and sex was noted on a student’s school records.
“If a child is receiving mental health care and that child’s physician advises not to treat the child as a different gender, then a school going against the doctor’s wishes without the parent’s permission would create reason for a lawsuit,” Republican state Sen. John Kavanagh told KTAR News. “This is a dangerous situation for children who are struggling with mental health issues.”
Today, I proudly vetoed SB1001, which was an attack on transgender youth. Instead of coming up with new ways to target and isolate our children, we should be working together to create an Arizona where everyone has the freedom to be who they are without fear of harassment or…
— Governor Katie Hobbs (@GovernorHobbs) May 22, 2023
Lawmakers throughout the country are moving to regulate how gender identity and sexual orientation are discussed in the classroom; in Iowa, state lawmakers are considering a bill that would prohibit teachers from giving lessons “relating to gender identity” for students in K-8 public and charter schools. Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law prohibiting certain lessons on gender identity and sexual orientation in Pre-K-12 classrooms.
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