1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my disappointment that Governor Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 418, which passed the House and Senate with a 2:1 majority in favor and would have protected access to hormone therapy in an increasingly insecure time and codified protections against discrimination in healthcare on the basis of gender. I am exceptionally disappointed that the Governor used the rising cost of medical care to justify his veto. Medical care is getting more expensive, that is true, but it is unlikely that this bill would have contributed to it significantly. It sounds like a convenient excuse to get his constituents off his back on a politically contentious issue. Washington state has a similar bill in effect and has not reported a rise in healthcare costs as a result. There are many people, cisgender as well as transgender, who rely on hormone therapy to maintain their health and quality of life. The Trump administration has been attacking access, and this bill would have been a decisive middle finger to the administration, as well as showing the people of California that Governor Newsom is willing to protect them. Newsom says that he supports all Californians, including transgender people. He needs to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. I appreciate all that he has done in the past to support LGBTQ+ people, but he needs to do more, now more than ever.