COLORADO — On Wednesday, February 19, Attorney General Phil Weiser announced that he was adding Colorado to the list of states that are trying to "invalidate a presidential order that threatens to end federal funding" to medical facilities and criminalize medical professions that provide gender-affirming care.
The other states involved in this lawsuit include Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington.
The previous Friday, a federal judge blocked the order on the basis that it blatantly discriminates against young transgender people.
According to Weiser, the ongoing lawsuit would permanently block federal agencies from acting on the executive order, allowing healthcare providers to continue to provide gender-affirming care.
“The White House executive order is not only illegal, but also cruel. I’ve met with health care providers and parents, and they fear that if the executive order is allowed to stand, it will result in irreversible physical and mental health harms for transgender youth. Parents, in consultation with trusted medical providers, know what is best for their child and should have the option to seek the care their child needs to live their best lives,”
"Gender-affirming care is legally protected health care in Colorado, and with this lawsuit Colorado hospitals will again be free to provide critical care.”
As a result of the executive order, the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus stopped providing puberty blockers and hormone therapy to patients, due to the threat of losing funding.
These affected patients had already been thoroughly evaluated but hadn't started their therapies.
The lawsuit claims that the order violates the 5th Amendment, targeting the "equal protection guarantee[d] by singling out transgender individuals for mistreatment and discrimination."
According to Weiser, Colorado specifically uses federal funding for medical and public health facilities, appointed by Congress, and the president can't single-handedly override congressional orders. He also claims that the president cannot regulate or criminalize medical practices in Colorado because the 10th Amendment protects them.
___
Pueblo School District 60 addressing enrollment decline with community meetings
Along with many districts in Colorado, Pueblo School District 60 has seen a decline in enrollment, resulting in underutilized buildings.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
