Gov. Tim Walz And The MN 'Trans Refugee' Law: What To Know

ST. PAUL, MN — Democrat Tim Walz's selection as Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate has brought national attention and criticism to the bills he's signed into law as Minnesota's governor.

Some of the most progressive laws in Minnesota's history were passed in the last two years, during the period when Democrats held a trifecta in the state government.

Among those laws is one that makes the state of Minnesota a legal sanctuary for children seeking "gender-affirming health care" such as puberty blockers and gender-related surgeries.

Specifically, the "Trans Refuge" law states that Minnesota cannot enforce an out-of-state court order that penalizes a parent or their child for seeking transgender-related procedures.

Rep. Leigh Finke, the first openly transgender person elected to the Minnesota legislature, authored the bill.

"Since our first hearing on this legislation a few weeks ago, more states have banned gender-affirming care, including Utah, Florida, and South Dakota," Finke said on Feb. 21, 2023.

"Gender-affirming care is health care, and in Minnesota we provide health care to those who need it. When a state line is all that’s keeping a family from receiving the health care their child needs, Minnesota should welcome them."

According to Finke, gender-affirming care includes "a wide range of social and medical interventions to affirm someone’s internal gender identity" such as:

• Puberty blockers
• Cross-sex hormones
• Permanent hair removal
• Voice therapy
• Surgical interventions

Finke said trans people can face higher rates of depression, suicide, and substance abuse if they cannot access these types of procedures.

Meanwhile, the conservative Minnesota Family Council released a statement criticizing the new law.

"So-called ‘gender-affirming healthcare’ is in reality a way in which the medical establishment victimizes vulnerable young people, often with lifelong negative health effects," the group said.

"These interventions, which include wrong-sex hormones and the surgical removal of healthy organs, always fail, since they cannot change a male body into a female body or vice versa. "

According to the Family Council, "people who struggle with their gender identity deserve compassionate care that will help them become comfortable in their bodies, not mutilate them."

The law went into effect in March 2023.