Both chambers of the Louisiana legislature mustered the 2/3 vote of its membership necessary to override a Governor’s veto clearing the way for the “Stop Harming Our Kids Act” (HB 648) to become law. The bill prohibits healthcare professionals from providing gender-affirming care or altering a child’s appearance to validate the minor’s perceptions of his sex. The Legislature adjourned following the vote of the Senate.
The Louisiana Constitution mandates a veto session on the 40th day after adjournment of the Regular Session unless a majority of either the House or Senate votes not to return. This year only 12 members of the Senate and 31 members of the House mailed in ballots stating the veto session was unnecessary. The 2023 Veto Session, which convened on July 18, is only the third in the state’s history since the 1974 Louisiana Constitution was adopted.
“Today was a huge win for the children of Louisiana,” said Gabe Firment, District 22 State Representative. “I’m proud of my colleagues in the state legislature for standing up to protect the children of our great state. We made it clear today that our children are worth fighting for. This great victory would not have been possible without the prayers and support of parents, grandparents, pastors, and grassroots organizations from around the state who rose up and declared with one voice that ‘No one in Louisiana has the right to harm a child’. God Bless the families of our beautiful state!”
The House of Representatives voted 76-23 to override the veto of HB 648. The vote in the Senate was 28-11. The Governor vetoed a total of 26 bills from the 2023 Regular Session including line-item vetoes from the budget package.
