Judge Blocks Anti-Transgender Investigation In Texas

The Texas Tribune: Texas Can’t Investigate Family Of Trans Teen As Feds Move To Shield Others 
A state judge blocked Texas' child protection agency from investigating the parents of a transgender teenager who received gender-affirming medical care, citing the "irreparable injury" they would likely suffer. District Judge Amy Clark Meachum's ruling does not stop the agency from opening investigations into other families in similar situations. But she will consider issuing a statewide injunction blocking such investigations into all parents of trans children on March 11. And U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said his agency is looking into tools that would shield transgender Texans from the state's attempts to hinder access to gender-affirming care. (Klibanoff and Park, 3/2)

Politico: ‘Government Overreach At Its Worst’: Biden Slams Texas Transgender Investigations
President Joe Biden’s administration condemned a Texas effort to investigate the use of gender-affirming procedures on children Wednesday, in a move that promised to intensify the state’s fall election between Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and former Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke. The interjection from Biden and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services arrived hours after a Texas judge temporarily blocked Abbott’s administration from an investigation into the family of a 16-year-old transgender girl but did not stop the practice statewide. (Perez Jr., 3/2)

In related news about transgender health care —

AP: Alabama Bill Seeks To Ban Hormone Treatments For Trans Youth 
Alabama lawmakers on Wednesday advanced legislation that would make it a crime for doctors to give transgender minors puberty-blockers, hormones or surgeries to help affirm their gender identity. The bill is one of several such measures being proposed in statehouses across the country. (Chandler, 3/2)

Detroit Free Press: Nessel: Michigan Law Bans Discrimination Based On Sexual Orientation
Michigan businesses must not be allowed to refuse service to clients simply because customers may be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer, argued Attorney General Dana Nessel on Wednesday before the state Supreme Court. But opponents said there's no legal basis for the court to determine the law bans this discrimination, arguing that such a ruling would amount to judicial activism that would circumvent the power and authority of the Legislature. The debate underscores what could be a foundational case in Michigan: whether the state's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, passed in 1976, bans discrimination based on sexual orientation. (Boucher, 3/2)

Axios: Culture War Around Care For Transgender Kids Heats Up
The confrontation over gender-affirming care for transgender youth hit a boil this week as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott doubled down on his call for state officials to investigate "transition care" for minors as "child abuse." Even as Abbott's team called the issue a political "winner," major medical groups including the American Academy of Pediatrics condemned the stance, saying it trampled on the doctor-patient relationship and injected politics into medical care. (Reed, 3/3)

In other news from across the U.S. —

Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Medical Marijuana: House OKs Bill Adding Autism To Conditions
Ohioans with autism would be able to use medical marijuana under a bill passed by the Ohio House Wednesday. House Bill 60 would add autism spectrum disorder to the list of qualifying conditions under Ohio's medical cannabis program. Proponents contend it would open another door for people with autism, some of whom told lawmakers that they struggle with traditional medication prescribed by doctors. The bill passed the House with a bipartisan 73-13 vote. The bill now goes to the Ohio Senate for consideration. (Bemiller, 3/2)

Indianapolis Star: Indiana Hospitals To Track Inequities After Dr. Susan Moore's Death
In an ongoing effort to narrow the health disparities gap, Indiana’s five major hospital systems are collaborating to create a dashboard that will track how patients of different racial backgrounds are treated. The hospital systems' laser focus on racism as a public health crisis came in the wake of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests and a highly publicized incident in which a Black doctor named Susan Moore alleged racist treatment at a Carmel hospital a few weeks before she died of COVID-19 at a different hospital. (Rudavsky, 3/2) 

Los Angeles Times: Pandemic And Homelessness Rank Among Top Issues For L.A. County Latinos, New Survey Says
The COVID-19 pandemic, homelessness and the economy are top of mind for Latinos in Los Angeles County, according to a new survey commissioned by the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State Los Angeles and the California Community Foundation. The survey of 1,500 county residents— voters and nonvoters— offers a snapshot of a key and often misunderstood demographic as the mayoral race in Los Angeles picks up speed. Latinos make up about a third of registered voters in both L.A. County and L.A. city. (Reyes-Velarde, 3/2)

Oklahoman: Oklahoma Education Committee Approves Book Ban Bill For Public Schools
A Senate committee advanced a bill Tuesday that would force school libraries to remove “controversial” books if a parent complains, even as one senator who supported the bill acknowledged it created a “slippery slope.” Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, authored Senate Bill 1142 that would ban books from school libraries that focus on "the study of sex, sexual lifestyles, or sexual activity." If a parent submits a written complaint about a book that meets that criteria a librarian would have 30 days to remove it or risk being fired. Parents also would be able to seek legal penalties of $10,000 per day from districts that don’t comply with the removal request. (Felder and Martinez-Keel, 3/2)