(The Center Square) – The Georgia Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would ban the state’s insurance plan from covering transgender care after a heated debate.
Sponsor Blake Tillery. R-Vidalia said the five-page bill was simple.
“Senate Bill 39 in no uncertain terms makes clear that you cannot use state taxpayer dollars in any form for transgender surgeries,” Tillery said. “That is the simplicity of it. That is the complexity of it. That is the entire bill.”
Sen. Nan Orrock, D-Atlanta, said the bill constitutes a violation of equal protection.
“What on earth empowers us to go in, in the middle of a year, when we’ve already signed up for our insurance, and dictate that certain procedures are no longer going to be covered for adults with transgender issues?” Orrock said.
Tillery said the bill does not change anything in the middle of the year but makes it clear to all state employees during open enrollment that tax dollars are not going for gender-affirming care and transgender surgeries.
Gov. Brian Kemp signed House Bill 140 into law in 2023, which bans access to hormone therapy and surgery for minors. Later that year, the state settled a lawsuit filed by two transgender men employed by the state and others who sued to continue their care. The state paid $365,000 to the plaintiffs and their attorneys, according to NBC News.
“What has happened, through judicial rule, settlements or otherwise, we’ve said, ‘Hey, while the General Assembly has spoken, spoke clearly, and said loudly, we do not think these surgeries should occur in our state,’ there’s a back door that’s happened here,” Tiller said. “The back door that’s happened is through settlements, court decisions or otherwise, we are paying for those surgeries and we are allowing those surgeries on minors. And we’re not just allowing those surgeries on Georgia minors, we’re paying for those surgeries on Georgia minors.”
State Sen. Nikki Merritt, D- Graysville, said she expects the state will pay millions more in legal battles over the bill.
“It’s mean, I think it’s a low position for this body,” Merritt said of the bill.
Attorney General Chris Carr joined other states in supporting Indiana in a lawsuit involving a transgender inmate who wants the state to pay for sex-change surgery. Indiana passed a law that banned taxpayer dollars from being used for inmate sex-change surgeries. A judge sided with the inmate in the case.
“Taxpayers shouldn’t foot the bill for sex changes,” said Carr. “We’re proud to stand with our fellow attorneys general to put a stop to this nonsense.”
By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square
