by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)
An Arkansas law that banned medical procedures for transgender patients under the age of 18 was permanently blocked by U.S. District Judge Jay Moody on Tuesday (June 20). Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said he would appeal the decision.
The Save Adolescents From Experimentation Act (SAFE Act) was passed by the state legislature in 2021 by overwhelming margins, but then-Gov. Asa Hutchinson vetoed the measure saying it was “overbroad” and “a vast government overreach.” The legislature overrode his veto, putting the law in effect before it was challenged in court.
The federal lawsuit was brought by several families of transgender children who claimed the SAFE Act violated the 14th Amendment right to equal protection under the law and their 1st Amendment right to free speech. The defendants included then-Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge and members of the Arkansas Medical Board.
