Local lawmakers to all vote ‘yes’ to prevent gender transition surgery for minors

Four area House Republicans are on record supporting Senate Bill 49 — the Missouri Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act, which passed Thursday, March 23, by a strict party line vote, 24-8, in the upper chamber of the General Assembly.

Missouri's legislation, which was sponsored by Sen. Mike Moon of Ash Grove, states in the summary that health care providers shall not perform gender transition surgeries for minors. They are also prohibited from prescribing or administering "cross-sex hormones or puberty-blocking drugs to a minor for a gender transition."

One caveat in the bill acknowledges some minors are currently in treatment and should be grandfathered in by the statute prior to Monday, Aug. 28 — the date the law would take effect if the House concurs.

John Voss

John Voss

Rep. John Voss of Cape Girardeau's District 147 said Sunday, March 26, he will vote "yes" if the bill, which is now in committee and has been read twice on the House floor, comes to a vote.

"There are examples of people who have come to testify at the (state) Capitol with regard to having previously transitioned and who now as they are older, say they regret having had (the operation)," Voss said. "This is a life-altering decision. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect people to wait until they're adults before making a decision that's not reversible."

Rick Francis

Rick Francis

Voss' colleague, Rep. Rick Francis of Perryville's District 145, also promises an affirmative vote but would like one change made in Moon's bill.

"The bill has a four-year sunset, or expiration, provision. I'm hopeful the House will remove this sunset clause," he said.

According to the legislation, the state's Missouri HealthNet program will not cover gender transitions, cross-sex hormone therapy or puberty-blocking drugs. Additionally, Moon's bill prohibits state prisons, jails and correctional centers from including gender transition surgeries.

HealthNet is Missouri's name for Medicaid.

Women's sports

Holly Thompson Rehder

Holly Thompson Rehder

A bill by Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder of Scott City's 27th District establishing "guidelines for student participation in athletic contests organized by sex," passed the Senate, 25-8, also Thursday.

Like Moon's bill, the Thompson Rehder bill has also made it to a second reading in the House and has been assigned for committee markup.

Jamie Burger

Jamie Burger

Rep. Jamie Burger of Benton, Missouri's 148th District, has his own "save women's sports" bill in the General Assembly's lower chamber, adding the gender transition and women's sports protection bills "are the right thing to do today."

Francis said he fully supports the measure to bar young people born as males from competing in women's sports.

Barry Hovis

Barry Hovis

Rep. Barry Hovis of Whitewater's District 146 said he will look at the bills carefully but intends to vote "yes" on both measures.

Voss said it's a matter of fairness.

"I think it's unfair for biological men to compete in women's sports (because) they clearly have a physical advantage. While there may be a few transgender women competing in these sports, I think we have to look at the thousands of other biological women who are trying to reach their potential without facing an unfair advantage," he said.