Current:Home > ContactCalifornia governor vetoes bill requiring custody courts to weigh affirmation of gender identity -PrimeWealth Guides
California governor vetoes bill requiring custody courts to weigh affirmation of gender identity
View
Date:2025-04-12 20:12:36
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill that would have required judges to consider whether a parent affirms their child’s gender identity when making custody and visitation decisions.
In announcing his veto Friday night, Newsom released a statement saying he has “a deep commitment to advancing the rights of transgender Californians” that has guided his decisions while in office.
“That said, I urge caution when the Executive and Legislative branches of state government attempt to dictate — in prescriptive terms that single out one characteristic — legal standards for the Judicial branch to apply. Other-minded elected officials, in California and other states, could very well use this strategy to diminish the civil rights of vulnerable communities,” the governor’s statement said.
The bill would have made gender affirmation one factor among many that courts already have to consider in custody proceedings, including whether a parent has been abusive and how much contact the child has with the parents.
The bill would not have required judges to prioritize whether a parent affirms their child’s gender identity over other factors. What affirmation looks like varies depending on the particular child and their age, said Assemblymember Lori Wilson, a Democrat who introduced the bill. She has an adult son who came out as transgender when he was a teenager.
Wilson said Friday that she was disappointed by the governor’s veto.
“I’ve been disheartened over the last few years as I watched the rising hate and heard the vitriol toward the trans community. My intent with this bill was to give them a voice, particularly in the family court system where a non-affirming parent could have a detrimental impact on the mental health and well-being of a child,” Wilson said in a statement.
Newsom said existing laws already require courts to consider health, safety and welfare when determining the best interests of a child in custody cases, including the parent’s affirmation of the child’s gender identity.
Every Republican in the Senate voted against the bill, with state Sen. Kelly Seyarto, who represents Murrieta in Southern California, arguing that lawmakers were interfering too much with how parents choose to raise their children.
“Inserting this into the mix is going to pit one parent against the other and make things worse,” Seyarto said at the time.
The veto comes amid intense political battles across the country over transgender rights, including efforts to impose bans on gender-affirming care, bar trans athletes from girls and women’s sports, and require schools to notify parents if their children ask to use different pronouns or changes their gender identity.
veryGood! (344)
Related
- Why we love Bear Pond Books, a ski town bookstore with a French bulldog 'Staff Pup'
- Scotland to get U.K.'s first ever illegal drug consumption room in bid to tackle addiction
- 'What Not to Wear' co-hosts Stacy London, Clinton Kelly reunite after 10-year feud
- Bermuda probes major cyberattack as officials slowly bring operations back online
- South Korea's acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after Yoon impeachment
- Polish democracy champion Lech Walesa turns 80 and comments on his country’s upcoming election
- Slovakia election pits a pro-Russia former prime minister against a liberal pro-West newcomer
- EU struggles to update asylum laws three years on from a sweeping reform. And the clock is ticking
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- People's Choice Country Awards 2023 Red Carpet Fashion: See Every Look as the Stars Arrive
Ranking
- 'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
- Olympic skater's doping hearing adjourned in shocking move; more delays ahead
- NFL Week 4 picks: Do Lions or Pack claim first place? Dolphins, Bills meet in huge clash.
- Hundreds of children, teens have been victims of gun violence this year
- Trump's 'stop
- Do you know these 10 warning signs of diabetes? A doctor explains what to watch for.
- Ukraine’s 24/7 battlefield drone operation: Reporter's Notebook
- Storm eases in Greece but flood risk remains high amid rising river levels
Recommendation
Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
What to know as fall vaccinations against COVID, flu and RSV get underway
McCarthy vows to move forward with House bill to avert shutdown despite GOP holdouts
'What Not to Wear' co-hosts Stacy London, Clinton Kelly reunite after 10-year feud
Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
Mexico’s president slams US aid for Ukraine and sanctions on Venezuela and Cuba
Phillies star Bryce Harper tosses helmet in stands after being ejected by Angel Hernandez
Man who fled NYC day care where suspected drug exposure led to child’s death has been arrested