Louisiana House unable to overturn Governor’s veto on gender identity parental permission bill.

Mairead ElordiJuly 18, 2023

The ‍Louisiana State⁤ House Fails‌ to‍ Override Governor’s Veto on Pronoun Bill

The Louisiana⁢ State House on ⁢Tuesday failed ‍to override⁣ Democratic⁤ Governor ‍John Bel Edwards’ veto of a bill that ⁣would ‍have banned teachers from ‌using a‌ new pronoun for students unless they get permission ‍from parents.

Missed the⁤ Threshold by‍ Three‍ Votes

The House voted 67-29⁣ on HB 81, ⁢three votes short of the two-thirds threshold⁢ required ‍to ‌override the governor’s veto.

Democrats and ‍Two Republicans⁣ Opposed the Bill

Every Democrat‌ voted ⁢against the⁢ bill along ‍with two⁤ Republicans, Representatives ⁣Barbara Freiberg and Stephanie Hilferty.

Some⁤ Republicans Absent for Various⁢ Reasons

One Republican‍ member reportedly ⁢flew back from vacation in France‍ to make⁤ the ‍session, while another Republican‌ was‌ also vacationing ⁣in⁤ Europe, but⁤ did ⁢not fly back,‌ and⁣ yet‌ another Republican was out ⁤of town for ⁤a family medical situation,⁤ according to ‌local reporter James⁤ Finn.

The Details of the Pronoun Bill

The⁢ pronoun bill⁢ would have⁣ required‍ school employees to‌ use⁤ the name on a student’s birth certificate ⁢or⁢ a derivative of that‍ name ⁢unless ‍the ⁤student’s parent provides written permission ‍to do otherwise.

Under‍ the ⁢bill, schools ‍also would⁤ have⁤ been⁤ banned from requiring school employees to use pronouns ⁣other than‌ the⁤ ones that match the sex on‌ someone’s‌ birth certificate if doing ⁤so⁢ would violate the employee’s sincerely‍ held‍ religious beliefs⁣ or moral convictions.

Other Vetoed ‌Bills on Gender ⁤Identity

Edwards ⁤vetoed the bill at⁢ the end of⁣ June along ‍with two other ⁤bills that ⁢dealt with gender identity.

One‍ of the ⁣other bills, the Stop ⁤Harming Our Kids Act, bans ⁣puberty blockers,‌ cross-sex hormones, and gender⁢ surgeries for ‍minors in ‌Louisiana. ⁣Both chambers of ⁢the Louisiana legislature voted Tuesday⁣ to override the governor’s‍ veto⁣ of that ⁤bill, meaning the legislation ⁣will go into effect.

The other⁤ bill the governor vetoed ⁣last ⁤month ⁢would have⁢ blocked teachers‍ from discussing gender identity ‌and ‌sexual⁣ orientation‍ in⁣ the state’s⁢ public school classrooms. ⁤That bill also failed the override vote ⁤on Tuesday by just two votes.

Controversy Surrounding Gender‍ Identity ⁤in Schools

“This bill ⁢unfairly places vulnerable children at ⁣the ‍front lines of a vicious culture⁣ war,” Edwards ⁤wrote in his veto ⁤message ⁤on⁣ the classroom content bill, adding that it‌ could⁢ result in⁣ “sanctioned bullying‌ of LGBTQ ⁢children⁤ in schools under the guise ⁢of religious freedom.”

Last⁤ year, about 300,000 ⁤American ⁣teens 13 ⁢to ‍17⁤ identified⁢ as transgender, a sharp increase over the ⁢previous⁢ few years. From⁣ 2017 ‍to 2021,⁢ gender dysphoria diagnoses in ‌children‍ nearly tripled.

In the past ⁢few ‍years,⁤ parents and teachers have clashed with⁢ schools about ⁤policies around trans-identifying students.

In 2017, ‌an Indiana teacher was fired after he objected to using trans-identifying‍ students’⁢ new⁣ names and pronouns.⁣ Last year, a Virginia teacher was fired for refusing to ‌use ‌a trans-identifying student’s new pronouns.

In several states, ⁣parents ‍have sued⁤ their‌ children’s ‌school districts, claiming school ⁣personnel‌ encouraged their children to‌ change their gender identity ⁤behind⁢ their parents’ ⁣backs.

In⁢ Louisiana itself, teacher ⁢Jonathan Koeppel said‍ in 2021 that he was⁣ fired after⁢ he objected to the schools‌ in his⁣ New ‌Orleans-area district⁢ teaching gender ideology, as⁤ well ‍as Critical ‍Race Theory.

“I ‍started ⁤noticing‍ kids ⁤talking ⁣about political topics ‍that⁢ were being ⁣brought up in other classes by their teachers, and ⁢realized that someone had to ⁤get this ‍conversation started,”⁤ Koeppel said‍ at‌ the time. “I just happened to be‍ that someone.”