LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas' governor has vetoed legislation that would have made his state the first to ban gender confirming treatments for transgender youth.
Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Monday rejected the measure that prohibits doctors from providing gender-confirming hormone treatment or surgery to minors, or from referring them to other providers for the treatment.
The move followed pleas from pediatricians, social workers, and the parents of trans youth.
The bill was among several targeting transgender people that have easily advanced in Arkansas.
Hutchinson's veto can be overridden by a simple majority of the Legislature.
Last week, the Arkansas Senate approved a bill that would prohibit doctors from providing gender-confirming treatments for minors.
According to The Associated Press, laws banning transgender girls and women from competing on school sports teams were signed by governors in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee.
