Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt Signs Bill Blocking Hospitals From Receiving Funds If They Perform Gender Transitions on Minors

The GOP can behave as a functional, responsive party -- if we make it.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) on Tuesday signed a bill that blocks University of Oklahoma hospitals from receiving federal American Rescue Plan Act funds if its children's hospital continues to offer gender-affirming care.

Oklahoma Children's hospital in a statement said it was no longer prescribing hormone therapies or performing gender-affirming surgical procedures on patients younger than 18.

Stitt in a statement on Tuesday called on the state legislature to pass a bill that bans doctors in the state from providing gender-affirming care to minors when it reconvenes in February.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) on Tuesday signed into law a measure blocking one of the state's largest hospital systems from receiving federal funds if it continues to offer gender-affirming care to transgender youth.

The bill signed Tuesday was passed last week by state lawmakers during a special session to appropriate the state's $1.87 billion in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

Under the proposal by two Republican state House members and two Republican senators, University of Oklahoma (OU) hospitals will only be permitted to receive $108 million in ARPA funds -- including nearly $40 million earmarked for a pediatric mental health facility -- if Oklahoma Children's Hospital ceases to provide gender-affirming care.

On Tuesday, Stitt said signing the bill was only the first step toward shielding children from "permanent gender transition surgeries and therapies."

"It is wildly inappropriate for taxpayer dollars to be used for condoning, promoting, or performing these types of controversial procedures on healthy children," Stitt said in a statement, and called on the legislature to enact a total ban on gender-affirming care for minors when it reconvenes in February. Some state legislators had urged Stitt to call another special session for the purpose of passing legislation to outlaw such care for youth.

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Stitt in March signed into law another bill that bars transgender women and girls from competing on female sports teams, and a measure that has prevented transgender students in Oklahoma from using school facilities like restrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity has been in place since May.

There are many "Republicans" who are still "uncomfortable" fighting back against the Culture War the Democrats have fought and won -- almost unopposed -- over the past 20 years.

They feel it's "icky" and "judgmental" and "Not Quite Our Class, Dear."

They feel this is something the Uneducated Deplorables do -- not something that the Educated Better Sort of Republicans do.

The status they crave is conferred only by liberals and liberal-dominated institutions and so they conform themselves and their politics into a shape acceptable to the status-conferring liberal hegemony.

David French embodies this line of class-based, status-seeking line of "thinking."

And what's worse, they're not even content to remain non-combatants in the culture war -- no, they actively side with the left, and beat up people on the right for attempting to defend themselves. They frag their "own side" to prove their true loyalty, which is to the left.

These are not Republicans; these are Democrats who like low taxes and want to keep minorities out of their suburbs. They must be purged from holding any positions in the party. They are still allowed to vote for us, which they will do, about one third of the time. Because they're Democrats with slight Republican leanings.

We can no longer allow them a place in any position of political leadership or influence -- including in magazines of ideological persuasion. We are not fighting to reduce corporate tax rates. That is not the sum of our aspirations.

posted by Ace at 01:24 PM

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