Latest news with #SB218
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Louisiana Senate rejects bill for new trials on Jim Crow juries
BATON ROUGE, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — A segment of people in Louisiana prisons have lost their chance to appeal their cases. Proposed bill in Texas would prohibit minors from using social media. Learn tips for managing child's online activity The Louisiana Senate failed to pass Senate Bill 218, which Senator Royce Duplessis introduced and would have allowed people convicted by 'Jim Crow Juries' to receive new trials. In 1898, Louisiana adopted the split jury convictions during a constitutional convention. This allowed white majority juries to convict black people without coming to a unanimous decision. Louisiana House advances state budget in 2025 legislative session The practice of non-unanimous convictions continued in Louisiana until 2018. In 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that the practice violated the right to an impartial jury, a right guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment. Oregon, the other state that allowed split decisions, granted new trials to hundreds of people. SB 218 would have given people in Louisiana jails the same relief. SB 218 failed on a 9-26 vote, completely along party lines. Republican lawmakers were concerned with overburdening courts with additional trials and the possibility of witnesses being dead or evidence being lost. Supporters countered that district attorneys would ultimately decide whether to hold new trials and that transcripts of testimony from old trials are already used in cases. DOJ dismisses investigations of civil rights violations by Louisiana State Police New Orleans Democrat Senator Royce Duplessis, who authored the bill, said, 'If we choose to vote down this bill, we're saying that justice has an expiration date. We have an opportunity in Louisiana to remove this stain, because right now we are the only ones wearing it.' The lopsided nature of the vote, with only one month left in this year's Legislative Session, makes it unlikely that the bill will have another chance at this session despite the fact that 65% of voters surveyed supported it. For now, an estimated 1,000 men and women in Louisiana prisons, despite the jury not being unanimous, are waiting for a path out. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nevada one of several states considering boosting antitrust protections
The office of Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, who last year joined several other states in an ultimately successful effort to block a proposed merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons, did not respond to a request for comment about the bill. (Photo: April Corbin Girnus/Nevada Current) Nevada could be the first state to adopt legislation that would boost its ability to fight or address antitrust concerns. Senate Bill 218 would adopt the Uniform Antitrust Pre-Merger Notification Act, which would require companies to submit to state attorneys general the same notices and information they are already required to provide federal agencies prior to mergers or acquisitions. 'It does not require the attorney general to try and stop the merger,' emphasized state Sen. James Ohrenschall, the bill sponsor, during his presentation Thursday to the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee. It only requires that the AG be made aware of the proposal so they can analyze the impact of a merger or acquisition on industries, markets, and consumers in the state. The legislation was drafted by the Uniform Law Commission, a longstanding national nonprofit, nonpartisan group behind other broadly adopted state legislation, including the Uniform Commercial Code and the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act. Ohrenschall serves as a ULC commissioner. The pre-merger notification act has been introduced into eight state legislatures this year, including California, Utah and Colorado, according to ULC. States have the same right to enforce the federal merger law, said Dan Robbins, who chaired the ULC committee that drafted the act, but they may not find out about a proposed merger for months after their federal counterparts do. 'What often happens is a state will learn about it in a newspaper and say, 'Oh my goodness… I might want to take a look at that,'' said Robbins. 'What the state then needs to do is issue subpoenas and go into litigation, spending taxpayer dollars to get information that it could already have.' That's not good for businesses, he continued, which don't want states to come in months after they believe a deal is closed and say they have concerns. Under SB 218, Nevada would be notified only if the Silver State is the primary place of business or if the business has more than $25 million in net sales within the state. The attorney general's office would be prohibited from charging any fees for filing. Nevada already requires certain health care companies to inform the state about potential mergers. Lawmakers passed that legislation in 2021 over growing concerns about the consolidation of healthcare companies, particularly by private equity firms. SB 218 as introduced would expand notice to all companies making filings to the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust division as required by the federal Hart-Scott-Rodino Act. The filings would be confidential at the state level, just as they are at the federal level. Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford did not participate in the legislative hearing Thursday. The Current asked Ford's office whether he is supportive of the bill but did not receive a response by publication time. Ford last year joined several other states and the FTC in an ultimately successful effort to block a proposed merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons. In 2019, Ford took action against a proposed merger between Sprint and T-Mobile, which was resolved with a $30 million settlement for Nevada. The Nevada Resort Association submitted an amendment to exempt businesses regulated by an administrative or regulatory agency. NRA Lobbyist Misty Grimmer told the committee those in the gaming industry are already required to give similar notice to the Nevada Gaming Control Board for approval of mergers and acquisitions of any size, so the act would be duplicative. The attorney general serves as legal counsel for the state's gaming division. State Sen. Skip Daly expressed concern the wording of the proposed amendment might be too vague and used by other industries lawmakers don't intend to exempt. Ohrenshall, Grimmer and the committee's legal counsel said they would work on refining the language of the amendment. The state legislation is being introduced against the backdrop of President Donald Trump firing two members of the Federal Trade Commission, which enforces antitrust laws. 'When people hear this news,' one of the commissioners who was fired told the New York Times 'they need to think about the billionaires behind the president at his inauguration.'
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Everything That Happened in Anti-Trans Legislation This Week: January 24-31
UCG/Getty Images Them' The following weekly digest is written and compiled by the Trans Formations Project, a grassroots nonprofit dedicated to tracking and educating about the anti-trans legislative crisis currently sweeping the United States. You can follow their work and latest updates via Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Tumblr, and Facebook. Hello readers. It's Friday, January 31, 2025. We've made it another week. Remember this is a relay race, not a marathon. Do what you can, rest, do what you can, rest. As a reminder, legislative sessions are different for each state — and you can keep track of your state's legislative session here. All information is up to date as of publication time. If you want to keep up with legislative and news updates throughout the week, be sure to connect with us on social media. Use our Linktree to find our other platforms! Please note that all hearing times are local times. New Hampshire HB293 has a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on February 5 at 11:00 am in Legislative Office Building 206-208 New Hampshire HB148 has a House Judiciary Committee hearing on February 15 at 3:15 pm in Legislative Office Building 206-208. Missouri SB55 Feb 4 @ 8:00 am in Senate Lounge - 3rd Floor Senate Education Committee Missouri HB1016 + HB1081 + HB1038 Feb 3 @ 4:30 pm in House Hearing Room 7 House Emerging Issues Committee New Hampshire HB148 House Judiciary Committee Feb 19 @ 9:45 am in Legislative Office Building 206-208 Montana SB218 Senate Judiciary Committee Feb 7 @ 8:00 am in Room 303 Nebraska LB89 hearing scheduled 1:30 pm in Room 1525 On January 22, Governor Gretchen Whitmer to include sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical or mental disability, age, and ethnicity. It will also protect people from violence based on 'association or affiliation with an individual or group of individuals' in the protected classes. The new law will create harsher punishments for people who commit hate crimes, escalating prison time and fines for repeat offenders. It will also expand the definition of a hate crime to include stalking. Dana Nessel, the state's Attorney General, said that Michigan's 'previous hate crime laws were inadequate to deter and properly prosecute those that target Michigan residents with fear and hatred, simply for who they are.' On the 22nd of January alone, investigative reporter Ken Klippenstein received over . From what these leaks show, many rank-and-file government employees are not going down without a fight. According to Klippenstein, one government employee even leaked Elon Musk's new government email address. The leaked documents consisted of memos ordering the closure of many agencies' DEI programs, per Trump's executive order. Of particular note, these leaks highlighted how DEIA offices run by the Veterans Affairs administration are being shut down. The internal document detailing this also provided an email address for people to report non-compliance with the spirit of the executive order (DEIAtruth@ Despite Trump's orders on education, the California Board of Education stands firm in strong on Trans rights: "President Trump signed an executive order today that does nothing but require the Secretary of Education to determine what federal education funds can legally be rescinded as a penalty for teaching curricula that President Trump finds objectionable. We can give the Trump Administration that answer right now: nothing," stated Liz Sanders, the director of communications for the statewide education agency. "It is against federal law for the White House to dictate what educators can and cannot teach by threatening to defund essential public services for students." Minnesota's Twin Cities pride raised over $70,000 to cover the funding gap from their kicking target as a sponsor. They said: 'For people to realize how important the mission is and the support is, to take that time to do that is an absolutely incredible feeling. We know our community and our allies are strong and they're fierce, but this was just — we just did not expect it,' said Twin Cities Pride executive director Andi Otto on raising $72,0000 in individual donations. On Monday, , the Trump administration issued , freezing federal funding and ordering federal agencies to 'complete a comprehensive analysis of all of their Federal financial assistance programs to identify programs, projects, and activities that may be implicated by any of the President's executive orders.' This funding freeze was to go into effect at 5:00 PM on Tuesday, January 28th, and would have included freezing 'financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal.' This executive order caused immediate problems as programs such as Medicaid, Head Start, and other federally-funded programs to become inaccessible, and this far-ranging order impacted federal grant funding to states, non-profit organizations, research institutions, and more. In response to a lawsuit filed by the National Council of Nonprofits, U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan issued a temporary stay on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, halting the implementation of the executive order until 5:00 PM on Monday, February 3, 2025. In response to this court decision and widespread public outcry, the funding freeze memo has been , but it is important to point out that the Trump administration only clarified that 'any program that provides direct benefits to Americans is explicitly excluded from the pause and exempted from this review process. In addition to Social Security and Medicare, already explicitly excluded in the guidance, mandatory programs like Medicaid and SNAP will continue without pause. Funds for small businesses, farmers, Pell grants, Head Start, rental assistance, and other similar programs will not be paused.' Other funding is still at risk. Lawsuits against the Trump administration regarding this order will likely continue up to the U.S. Supreme Court because the power of the purse rests with the U.S. House of Representatives, not the Executive branch, yet the Trump administration is attempting to remove funding that has already been allocated by Congress and signed by his predecessor, President Biden. Organizations that serve LGBTQ+ communities and other underserved populations, and researchers and medical providers who work with these communities, are at particular risk of losing federal funding as the Trump administration continues to issue these sweeping anti-trans and anti-diversity executive orders and attempting to cut off funding that does not align with the Trump administration's policy agenda. PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act), passed in 2003, sorted prisoners on a case by case basis, giving prison officials a number of factors they could use to consider when placing an inmate into the prison system. Trump's EO takes away that ability and explicitly says prisoners will be assigned on the basis of their sex assigned at birth. The EO also forces the Bureau of Prisons to end any provisions for providing gender affirming care to inmates, which, according to Gillian Branstetter, may be in direct violation of the Eighth Amendment since this care is considered medically necessary. While transgender inmates have traditionally been among the worst treated in prisons, with a 2012 report stating they are nine times more likely than cis inmates to be raped and that they are not always given gender-affirming care, Trump's Executive Order handcuffs prison officials' ability to use discretionary criteria in safely placing transgender inmates and providing them with medical care. NCLR and GLAD Law are suing Trump on behalf of a trans inmate to challenge the 'Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government' executive order. At the time of this writing, the transfer of one trans woman has been halted and other lawsuits are being filed. Amid five Executive Orders issued on January 27, one calls for the elimination of DE&I funding in the military and another calls for '' an order expected to impact, per one estimate, roughly 15,000 service members. The order states along with other language, that 'Consistent with the military mission and longstanding DoD policy, expressing a false 'gender identity' divergent from an individual's sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service. Beyond the hormonal and surgical medical interventions involved, adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual's sex conflicts with a soldier's commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one's personal life. A man's assertion that he is a woman, and his requirement that others honor this falsehood, is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.' The order equates gender identity with other health issues like eating, sleep, depression and other illnesses Americans live with chronically and are treatable by therapy and prescribed medications. However, two organizations, GLBT Legal Rights and Defenders (GLAD Law) and The National Center for Lesbian Rights on behalf of eight members, six of whom are active duty and two of whom wish to enlist. Given the Trump administration's actions against transgender and gender diverse Americans in all areas, this is part of a much broader movement. Legal experts cite prior court rulings, as well as an established track record of openly trans members serving honorably, as reasons why this lawsuit against the EO should succeed — there is no cause cited for banning transgender service members from serving, beyond White House officials not liking that these folks are trans. , Idaho Republicans introduced a resolution, , to overturn marriage equality by appealing to the Supreme Court. This resolution, though lacking any actual power to reverse this ruling by itself, is a warning of what could be the next front of attack on LGBTQ+ communities in the U.S. Reversing Obergefell v. Hodges might not be as far away as we'd like to think, either; both Justices Alito and Thomas have openly stated that they'd like to revisit and overturn the precedent set by Obergefell, and Justice Amy Coney Barrett has a history of anti-LGBTQ+ rulings and remarks. Additionally, the majority of the Supreme Court seems set on heeling to President Trump's command, as evidenced by the ruling granting the president broad immunity for acts committed while in office. While marriage equality will hopefully not be threatened, we should not be unaware of what could be next. President Donald Trump signed an restricting federal funding for gender affirming care for transgender minors and some adults. The order targets puberty blockers, hormone therapies, and surgeries for those under 19, using extreme and inflammatory language, calling them "chemical and surgical mutilation." It mandates federal agencies to withdraw support for such treatments, including withholding funds for federal education and research funding to institutions that provide them. The order also directs the Department of Health and Human Services to review and revise medical guidelines, criticizing the World Professional Association for Transgender Health's standards as lacking "scientific integrity." Additionally, it excludes gender-affirming care from military healthcare and federal employee health plans. Critics argue the order and undermines access to necessary care, with medical professionals and LGBTQ+ advocates asserting that gender affirming treatments are life-saving. They also warn it could exacerbate mental health struggles and create a hostile environment for transgender people. Some aspects of this order may also impact adult gender-affirming care, both broadly prohibiting care for people who are 18 years old and potentially impacting access to surgery for transmasculine adults. The Human Rights Campaign condemned the move, urging healthcare decisions be left to families and doctors. The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law has published a policy brief explaining the executive order and its potential applications and implications nationwide. On January 29, President Trump signed , aimed at weaponizing federal education funding by censoring curricula and instruction that address systemic racism (coded as 'discriminatory equity ideology'), support for trans and nonbinary students (coded as 'gender ideology'), and any historical information that presents critical perspectives about the U.S. This funding restriction would also apply to teacher training and certification programs that address these subjects. Many teacher education programs and professional accrediting agencies require coursework in diversity and/or multicultural education that could be impacted by this order. The order directs the incoming secretaries of Education, Defense, and Health and Human Services to develop a strategy within 90 days to end what Trump falsely claims is "indoctrination" in K-12 education. Federal funding accounts for an average of 10% of K-12 public school budgets (it varies based on state and district). The order echoes similar state-level Republican initiatives that restrict teaching on these issues, leading to accusations of censorship from teachers' unions, the ACLU, GLSEN, and other groups working to support and protect LGTBQIA+ teachers and students in schools. These state measures have sparked lawsuits over class cancellations, teacher firings, and book bans. Additionally, the order instructs the attorney general to work with state and local authorities to investigate school officials and teachers who 'sexually exploit minors' or allow social transitioning of students. This executive order is a blatantly illegal overreach of federal authority in curriculum and teaching, which traditionally have been delegated to state and local districts. Federal Don't Say Gay or Trans EO - includes the following text: (c) The Attorney General shall coordinate with State attorneys general and local district attorneys in their efforts to enforce the law and file appropriate actions against K-12 teachers and school officials who violate the law by: (i) sexually exploiting minors; (ii) unlawfully practicing medicine by offering diagnoses and treatment without the requisite license; or (iii) otherwise unlawfully facilitating the social transition of a minor student. Also includes a prohibition on using federal funds '...to directly or indirectly support or subsidize the instruction, advancement, or promotion of gender ideology…' Republican Congressman Eric Burlison of Missouri has introduced , a national abortion ban bill, titled 'To implement equal protection under the 14th article of amendment to the Constitution for the right to life of each born and preborn human person.' This bill is not trans-specific, but would have wide-reaching implications for bodily autonomy and equality nationwide if passed. The text of the bill is not yet available online at the time of this writing. In response to , issued on January 20, 2025, a was indicating that Andrea Lucas, Acting Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), is reinterpreting the limits of the Bostock Supreme Court decision and explaining how the EEOC intends to comply with the executive order. This includes implementing a federal transgender bathroom ban, removing X gender markers and Mx. salutations from EEOC documents and forms, removing the Microsoft 365 profile 'pronoun app' from systems used by federal employees to add their pronouns to their profiles, removing what they describe as 'materials promoting gender ideology on the Commission's internal and external websites and documents,' and reviewing the federal 'Know Your Rights' poster that employers are required to post for employees nationwide to remove anything that may conflict with this and other executive orders. This press release also indicates that the acting chair will be revising anti-harassment guidance to remove references to intentional misgendering as harassment. As the Trump administration is redefining what they consider to be discrimination and harassment, and since the EEOC has jurisdiction over private employers, this move is likely to be one of many attacking civil rights overall and trans rights in particular over the next four years. The WIlliams Institute of the UCLA School of Law has issued a policy brief explaining this executive order and its implications for the trans community. In February 2024, Nassau County, New York executive Bruce Blakeman, a Republican, signed an executive order banning any teams or leagues that include trans women or girls from participating in girls and women's sports in Nassau County's public facilities. This ban was challenged by the Roller Rebels, a roller derby league based in Long Island, who support the right of trans women to participate in their sport. New York State Supreme Court Judge Francis Ricigliano ruled in May 2024 that the ban was against the law, but because of the way the ruling was worded, Nassau County re-introduced the legislation one month later and passed it in July. In a challenge to the new legislation, Nassau County Supreme Court Judge Bruce Cozzens has declined to halt the implementation of the new legislation while the challenge works its way through the courts. Trans women continue to be excluded from women's sports in Nassau County while the lawsuit continues. On January 24, , who was accused of illegally accessing and sharing private medical information on transgender patients at Houston's Texas Children's Hospital. Dr. Haim, a surgeon at the hospital, took medical information about patients that weren't under his care and released it in an attempt to push harmful and false narratives about gender-affirming care. The following new bills were introduced this week: Florida HB271 was introduced on January 28. This bill would amend Florida's hate crimes law to include gender and gender identity. Georgia SB30 was introduced on January 27 and read for the first time and referred to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on January 28. This is an under-18 healthcare ban. Illinois SB1226 was introduced on January 24 and referred to the Senate Assignments Committee. This is a school-based bathrooms bill. Minnesota SF716 was introduced and referred to the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee. This is a drag ban bill. Mississippi SB2319 was introduced on January 20 and referred to the Justice Committee. It would ban people from 'discharging genetic material' without the intent to fertilize an embryo. This ban, which is unlikely to pass, was introduced as a way to call attention to attacks on reproductive healthcare for those who can get pregnant. Mississippi SB2870 was introduced and referred to the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee on January 20. This bill covers both forced outing and deadnaming in schools as well as protecting parents who refuse to support their child's transition. Mississippi SB2896 was introduced and referred to the Senate Education Committee on January 27. This is a 'parental rights' educational censorship bill. Montana SB218 was introduced and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 28. This is a healthcare liability bill which provides an avenue to sue medical providers for providing gender affirming care. Kansas SB76 was introduced on January 27 and referred to the Senate Education Committee on January 28. This bill requires schools to deadname/misgender trans students by requiring them to only use the name on the student's birth certificate and pronouns 'consistent' with their sex assigned at birth. Nevada SB112 was introduced and referred to the Senate Education Committee on January 27. This is a sports bill. New Hampshire SB211 was referred to the Senate Education Committee on January 23. This is a sports bill. North Dakota SB2392 was introduced and referred to the Senate Education Committee on January 27. This is an anti-DEI bill. Ohio HB6 + SB1 were cross-filed on January 23. HB6 was referred to the House Workforce and Higher Education Committee, and SB1 was referred to the Senate Higher Education Committee on January 28. These are anti-DEI/educational censorship bills. Oregon HB3338 was referred to the House Behavioral Health and Healthcare Committee. This bill directs the Health Evidence Review Commission to "investigate" gender-affirming care. Texas HB2062 was filed on January 24th. This is a bathroom bill. Tennessee HB0571 + SB0468 are crossfilled bathroom bills. Both bills were introduced on January 29. Tennessee SB0472 is a bathroom bill introduced on January 29th. Texas SB983 is an education censorship bill that was filed on January 29. New Mexico HB185 is a sports bill and was referred to the House Consumer & Public Affairs Committee on January 28. Washington HB1699 is a sports bill and was referred to the House Education Committee on January 29. Washington HB1629 is a bathroom bill for prisons and was referred to the House Community Safety Committee on January 27. Maryland SB588 was introduced and had its first reading in the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee. This is a sports bill. Michigan HB4031 is a sports bill and was referred to the House Education And Workforce Committee on January 28. Michigan HB4024 was introduced and referred to the House Education And Workforce Committee on January 29. This is a bathroom bill. Georgia SB39 was introduced and referred to the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee on January 29. This bill prevents the state health plan from covering expenses related to transition or gender affirming care. Missouri HB1085 was read for the second time in the House. This is an educational censorship bill that makes it a felony for teachers to support a child's social transition at school. Missouri SB632 was introduced and had its first reading in the House on January 27. This is a bathroom bill that provides an avenue for patrons to sue a business for allowing trans people to use facilities that align with their gender identity. Missouri HB1053 was introduced and read for the first time in the House on January 28. This is a trans erasure bill. Texas HB2258 was introduced on January 30, providing a private civil legal framework for lawsuits against mental health care providers who provide gender-affirming care, including assisting a minor through social transition and providing documentation and/or referrals for medical transition. Many other anti-trans bills (organized by type, listed alphabetically by state) progressed this week: Bathroom bills. A bathroom bill denies access to public restrooms by gender or trans identity. They increase the risk of violence and abuse without making anyone safer. They have even prompted attacks on cis and trans people alike. Many national health and anti-sexual assault organizations oppose these bills. Mississippi HB188 cleared its committee on January 29 and sent it to the House floor. Montana HB121 had a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing at 8 am on January 25. North Dakota HB1144 had a committee hearing on January 27. Utah HB0269 passed committee on January 27 and is headed to the House floor for a final vote before it crosses over. Wyoming HB0072 passed committee and was sent to the House floor on January 24. Healthcare bans. Healthcare bills go against professional and scientific consensus that gender-affirming care saves lives. Denying access also causes harm to providers, who can face criminal charges, and parents, who can be threatened with child abuse charges. Intersex children are typically exempted. For a visual representation of healthcare bans across the U.S., the Movement Advancement Project has created an interactive map you can use. Missouri HB1038 was referred to the House Emerging Issues Committee on the 29th. Missouri HB1016 was referred to the House Emerging Issues Committee on the 29th. Montana SB164 passed committee on January 29 and was sent to the Senate floor. Wyoming HB0164 passed the Wyoming House on January 30 and is now being sent to the Wyoming Senate. Texas HB2258 was introduced on January 30, providing a private civil legal framework for lawsuits against mental health care providers who provide gender-affirming mental health care, including assisting a minor through social transition and providing documentation and/or referrals for medical transition. Student suppression. Student suppression bills include all bills that cause schools to be a hostile place for queer and trans students. This includes forced outing, misgendering/deadnaming, and other harmful and dangerous policies. Iowa HF80 passed a subcommittee on January 28 but is currently still in the House Education Committee. Iowa SF8 passed a subcommittee on January 28 but is currently still in the Senate Education Committee. Trans erasure bills. Trans erasure bills make it harder for trans folks to have IDs that match their gender identity. They can force a male or female designation based on sex assigned at birth. Some ban a non-binary 'X' marker or require surgery to qualify for ID updates. Arizona HB2062 entered the House floor on January 27. Digital censorship. Digital censorship bills censor and restrict access to queer online content and spaces. They often take the form of age verification bills, which can require users to show ID to prove they are not a minor to access their social media accounts. Iowa HF62 passed subcommittee on Wednesday January 29 and was sent to to House Judiciary committee South Dakota HB1053 was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 27. Wyoming HB0043 cleared its second reading on the House floor yesterday and sent it on to its third. Sports bans. Most sports bills force schools to designate teams by sex assigned at birth. They are often one-sided and ban trans girls from playing on teams consistent with their gender identity. Some egregious bills even force invasive genital examinations on student athletes. Georgia HB104 was sent to the House Education Committee on January 27. Nebraska LB605 was referred to the Legislature Education Committee on January 27. Anti-DEI Bills. These bills describe any legislation that bans diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. This can look like banning employers from requiring inclusivity training or banning universities from providing funding to culturally specific student organizations. Universities in different states have already had to shutter or reduce student services due to these bills. Nebraska LB552 was referred to the Legislature Education Committee on January 24. Ohio SB1 Wyoming SF0103 passed committee on January 30 and was sent to the Senate floor. Other anti-trans bills: Arizona SB1003 and SB1002 passed committee on January 29 and were sent to the Senate floor Oregon HB3330 was referred to the House Behavioral Health and Health Care Committee on January 24. Utah HB0252 passed committee on January 24 and is headed to the House floor for a final vote before it crosses over. We know that staying up-to-date with anti-trans legislation may be distressing to our readers. If you or someone you know needs support, here are a few affirming resources that you can reach out to: If you need support or are in crisis, you can contact the Trans Lifeline hotline at (877) 565-8860. The Trans Lifeline is run by trans people, for trans people, and does not engage in non-consensual active rescue, meaning they will not call law enforcement without your consent. You can connect with a Trevor Project crisis counselor via phone 1 (866) 488-7386, chat, or text (Text 'START' to 678-678). Note: This resource could utilize non-consensual active rescue, including law enforcement, 911, and first responders. You can call the LGBT National Hotline at (888) 843-4564 or connect with a peer via chat. The LGBT National Help Center will NOT call other suicide hotlines, law enforcement, 911, or rescue services. BlackLine is a BIPOC LGBTQ+ support line, run by BIPOC folks, for BIPOC folks. This resource does not involve law enforcement or state agencies. You can call 1 (800) 604-5841 to chat with a peer. For folks under 25, you can call the LGBT National Youth Talkline at (800) 246-7743. The LGBT National Help Center will NOT call other suicide hotlines, law enforcement, 911, or rescue services. Adults (folks 18+) can text the THRIVE Lifeline, which is trans-led and operated. Text "THRIVE" to (313) 662-8209 to begin your conversation. THRIVE Lifeline does NOT call emergency services for people who are at risk of harming themselves without their consent. Get the best of what's queer. Sign up for Them's weekly newsletter here. Originally Appeared on them.
