Georgia state employee Carrie Scott speaks against of a bill that would cut off public funding of transgender care by Georgia state government on Tuesday, Feb. With state legislative sessions still young, bills have been introduced to cut off public funding for gender affirming care for adults in at least 10 states.
Georgia became the first state to move forward this year, with a panel voting Tuesday to advance a bill to the full Senate despite pleas from public employees who would lose insurance benefits.
Other states have already tried to restrict care for transgender adults. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, vetoed a bill last year that would have banned Medicaid spending on some gender affirming care.
Former Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, tried to impose restrictions on adult care before his executive order was rolled back. And a Florida law requires physicians to oversee health care related to transitioning, mandating in-person appointments. Former President Joe Biden, by contrast, supported transgender rights. The Georgia bill would ban spending state money on gender affirming care through state employee health plans, Medicaid and prisons. Anna Lange watched as lawyers clashed before the 11th U.
Like Lange, Georgia state employees sued for benefits, with advocates winning settlements covering public university employees , Medicaid beneficiaries and state employees. Scott and Khara Hayden, a transgender woman who is an information technology specialist, both testified they might leave state employment if benefits end on Jan. The bill may have trouble passing the Georgia House, though. State House Speaker Jon Burns, a Newington Republican, repeated again Tuesday that the only transgender-related legislation he backs this year is a bill to ban transgender girls and women from playing school and college sports.
