ACLU of South Dakota Commends Decision to Kill House Bill 1057

Today, in a 5-2 vote, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee voted to kill amended legislation that would prohibit doctors for providing medically necessary care to transgender youth and take away parents’ rights to make decisions about their children’s care.

The ACLU of South Dakota opposed HB 1057. It is unconstitutional to single out one group of people and categorically ban all care, no matter how medically necessary.

“Though supporters claimed House Bill 1057 was aimed at protecting vulnerable youth, it was clearly fueled by a fear and misunderstanding of transgender South Dakotans,” said Libby Skarin, policy director for the ACLU of South Dakota. “It’s time we stop these attacks and the very real harm they cause to transgender youth across our state. Let this be a signal to the South Dakota Legislature that discrimination against a marginalized group is a distraction from the needs of the state and hurts us all.”

In addition to the ACLU of South Dakota, companies and organizations like the Sanford Health, the South Dakota Chapter of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the South Dakota Pharmacists Association, the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the South Dakota State Medical Association, the South Dakota Retailers Association, the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, LEAD South Dakota and the Human Rights Campaign also opposed House Bill 1057.