Arkansas Gov. Hutchinson vetoes trans gender-affirming bill, calls it 'vast government overreach'

Arkansas Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson vetoed a bill on Monday which would have criminalized things like surgery and puberty blockers for trans kids, telling lawmakers to "think through the issue again."

Hutchinson went on to characterize the bill, he vetoed, HB-1570, as "extreme" and represented a "vast government overreach" which he did not want to permit.

According to Axios, Hutchinson wrote in a statement that this bill would have lead to "new standards of legislative interference with physicians and parents as they deal with some of the most complex and sensitive matters involving young people."

Hutchinson continued, "It is undisputed that the population of minors who struggle with gender incongruity or gender dysphoria is an extreme minority. But while they are a minority, they deserve the guiding hand of their parents and of the health care professionals that their family has chosen."

"House Bill 1570 is opposed by the leading Arkansas medical associations and the concerned expressed is that denying best medical care to transgender youth can lead to significant harm to the young person, from suicidal tendencies and social isolation to increased drug use."

Gillian Branstetter, speaking on behalf of the National Women's Law Center, applauded the veto. "I think people underrated how extreme this bill is. If you cannot get health care in the state where you live, you cannot live in that state. This would amount to effectively banning trans kids from the state of Arkansas. I would desperately urge lawmakers in Arkansas, including Gov. Hutchinson, to learn from this experience, learn from the outpouring of concern for these kids."