Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has joined a coalition of 22 states urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a Tennessee law that prohibits certain medical interventions for treating gender dysphoria in children, including puberty blockers and hormones. The coalition filed an amicus brief in the case of U.S. v. Skrmetti, emphasizing the importance of state roles in regulating medicine, healthcare, and child welfare.
"As I’ve stated before, child mutilation is barbaric and against Louisiana law. We should not experiment on a child with biologically altering drugs that have an unknown physiological trajectory and end point. I stand with my fellow attorneys general in protecting our kids from this abuse, and urge the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold Tennessee’s law,” said Attorney General Murrill.
The group of attorneys general argues that within the federalist system, it is up to elected state representatives to decide which procedures are safe and beneficial for children. Currently, more than 20 states have enacted laws similar to Tennessee's, while at least 14 states have taken opposing legislative actions.
The brief warns that if the Court rules against Tennessee's law, it "would constitutionalize an issue of intense public and scientific debate best left to the political branches." This decision would take away from people and their representatives the ability to evaluate scientific claims and make policy decisions based on competing interests.
Louisiana's participation in this brief is alongside Kentucky, Arkansas, Indiana, Alaska, Florida Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota Utah Virginia West Virginia Wyoming.