CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) – On Wednesday, lawmakers discussed trans bills, guns, and the budget.
The Senate Labor, Health and Social Services Committee heard testimony on two bills from a woman who made a gender transition as a minor and then changed her mind.
Chloe Cole, who was born female, says she knew she was a boy at 12 and started chemically transitioning at the age of 13.
At 15, Cole underwent a double mastectomy and a year later realized she made a mistake when she realized she wanted to become a mother later in life.
Cole says therapists didn’t address her sexual trauma, low self-esteem, and undiagnosed autism in her transition mental health evaluation.
“Children all across the country, all across the world, deserve better than that. They deserve a better standard of care, and their parents deserve to be helped by their doctors,” said Cole.
Chloe’s Law bill would prohibit physicians from performing surgical gender reassignment for children under 18.
The second bill would extend the time frame from two years until the age of 21 so that people can sue based on the gender transition of a minor in civil court.
“Just knowing that people support this bill is just a deep… It reflects that they really don’t understand trans people,” said Santi Murillo, Communication Coordinator for Wyoming Equality.
“We know that bills like this are being targeted by the legislature; this all leads to a culture of violence, and we don’t need it in the equality state,” said Sara Burlingame, Executive Director of Wyoming Equality.
Next, the repeal of gun-free zones passed the House Judiciary Committee.
This bill would expand the areas where folks can conceal carry where they were previously restricted, like government buildings and schools.
“By expanding the rights of law-abiding concealed carry holders, this legislation actually makes Wyoming a safer place,” said Mark Jones, National Director of Gun Owners of America.
And finally, the budget.
The general fund is $3.7 billion, the rainy day fund is $1.3 billion, and the school reserve account is over $700 million.
Experts say there are concerns over how green initiatives will impact education funds over the next few years.
“It’s not a really rosy picture. But there are some things that the state is doing that can augment some of that. And in the long run, I think in the next couple of years, the advent of a stable token will actually replace a lot of those funds from the energy shortfalls that we’ve had.
The Stable Token Act was introduced and referred to Senate Minerals, Business & Economic Development on Wednesday.
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