The vetoed bill, House Bill 808, also known as the Act to Prohibit Gender Transition Procedures for Minors, would have made it illegal for medical professionals to perform surgical gender transition procedures or prescribe puberty-blocking drugs or cross-sex hormones to minors.
The bill included exceptions for those with medically verifiable disorders of sex development, and violations would result in the revocation of medical licenses.
July 08, 2023
Governor Cooper defended his decision, stating that "a doctor's office is no place for politicians" and that parents and medical professionals should be the ones making decisions about gender care for their children.
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He argued that ordering doctors to deviate from approved medical protocols sets a dangerous precedent and poses risks to the mental health of vulnerable youth. Cooper emphasized that the government should not assume the roles of both parent and doctor.
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July 08, 2023
In addition to vetoing House Bill 808, Governor Cooper also vetoed House Bill 574, which aimed to protect women's sports. He criticized politicians for making uninformed decisions about a small number of vulnerable children and accused them of fueling political culture wars.
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Cooper defended his veto by pointing out that Republican governors in other states have also vetoed similar bills due to concerns about their impact on their states' reputation and economy, as well as their fairness and necessity.
Furthermore, Governor Cooper vetoed Senate Bill 49, which primarily focused on parental rights.
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The legislation clarified that parents have the right to consent or withhold consent for their children's participation in reproductive health and safety education programs, as well as the right to be informed and approve of preferred pronoun changes for their children.
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Despite acknowledging that parents are the most essential educators for their children, Cooper argued that the bill would instill fear and uncertainty in classrooms, potentially silencing teachers.
He referred to the bill as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, using a name associated with Florida's Parental Rights in Education law, which he claimed hampers the role of educators as trusted advisers.
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Although Governor Cooper's vetoes may have halted the progress of these bills, they are not necessarily dead. The state legislature, controlled by Republicans, still has the power to override the vetoes and enact the bills into law.
The resistance from Democrats to protect parental rights aligns with the National Education Association's (NEA) involvement in the culture wars.
The NEA, the largest teacher's union in the country, has added the book "Gender Queer" to its summer reading list. The book has faced challenges due to its depictions and descriptions of sexual content.
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