Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson
GOP Governor Asa Hutchinson clashes with Tucker Carlson over veto of youth health care bill Overnight health care: Biden says US is still in ‘life and death race’ with virus | White House excludes engagement with ‘vaccine passports’ from Arkansas lawmakers dominate Hutchinson veto over transgender bill Arkansas lawmakers rule out Hutchinson veto over transgender youth law (R) made headlines this week when he passed a law against an anti-transgender health care bill, the latest example of the conservative governor of a red state continuing his party as it escalates further into cultural wars.
Hutchinson on Monday vetoed a bill passed by the state legislature that barred doctors from providing medical care to transgender youth, such as puberty blockers, hormone therapies and transition-related surgeries. While the legislature on Tuesday exaggerated the veto, Hutchinson was clear about his problems with the bill at a time when Republicans in dozens of state houses are taking measures targeting transgender rights.
Arkansas political observers and insiders say it became typical of Hutchinson, who is a setback to a more traditionally conservative GOP legislature, at a time when large sections of the party were diving to fight culture wars and capture themselves tie to the Trump wing of the party.
Various Arkansas strategies described Hutchinson as ‘pragmatic’, and they suggested he be mindful of how his actions might play out should he decide to take a higher office as soon as he leaves the governor’s mansion in January 2023.
“He has a limited term, so he has a little more freedom to maybe do what he wants to do,” an official told the Arkansas political scene. “From what I’ve heard, he just does not see it as a conservative government policy. He sees it as the government trying to pursue the policy in people’s lives, and it could be a fundamental difference of opinion between the party’s conservative wing and the more pragmatic wing. ‘
Hutchinson was not ashamed to sign Conservative legislation – and draw the wrath of Democrats – during his office as governor. He signed an amended version of a religious freedom bill in 2015 after a similar measure caused a stir in Indiana. He signed one of the country’s most limited abortion bans earlier this year, saying he hoped it would lead to a ruling by the Supreme Court.
But the governor was open about his problems with the bill passed by the legislature, which restricts access to medical treatment for young transgender people.
“While the state must act in some cases to protect life, the state should not be supposed to jump into the middle of every medical, human and ethical issue,” he said Monday as he protested the legislation. “This is a major government breach – and it is.” ‘
Hutchinson told Fox News on Tuesday that he would support a bill that would simply ban sex transfer operations.
‘But it was the first law in the country that appealed to the state between medical decisions, parents agreeing to it and the patient’s decision. And so it goes too far, “he said Tucker Carlson
Tucker Carlson GOP governor clashes with Tucker Carlson over vetoing bill to block youth transgender care Trump denies Gaetz has asked him for legal permission. “And actually, it does not even have a grandfather clause that the young people have under hormonal treatment.”
The state legislature voted Tuesday to override Hutchinson’s veto, with experts saying Arkansas has long pursued the rest of the country in adopting policies that grant the same rights to the LGBTQ community and other minority groups, including those fundamentally married to same sex or the right to adopt.
State-level GOP efforts to restrict transgender people’s access to sport or medical care have gained momentum this year. In early March, at least 35 bills were introduced to ban transgender students from playing sports in leagues that match their gender identity. Another 25 bills have been introduced, such as those in Arkansas that prohibit access to gender-confirming medical care, in some cases with criminal penalties for parents approving the care or doctors providing it.
Hutchinson has a good record of pushing back against certain laws he feels he exceeds the role of government, and he has generally avoided getting bogged down in the cultural battles that the IDP has consumed.
He was one of the earliest governors in the South to accept a mask mandate during the coronavirus pandemic –President Trump
Donald Trump Gaetz travels to Bahamas as part of federal investigation into sex trafficking: Omar report forges Biden admin for continuing ‘construction of Trump’s xenophobic and racist wall’ to announce Biden’s executive action on ghost guns, laws with red flag MORE mocked for their usefulness, and he was regularly under the radar critic of the former president’s rhetoric and pandemic response during 2020.
Hutchinson successfully drafted a bill in 2017 that outlined the practice of the state to celebrate Confederate General Robert E. Lee, on the same day as Martin Luther King jr. Terminate after a similar measure previously failed.
And in 2019, Hutchinson told The Associated Press that he is in favor of changing the meaning of a star on the state flag that the Confederacy raises, although the flag remains unchanged.
“He is not interested in the cultural wars. He is interested in governing, and he has proven it time and time again, ” said Janine Parry, a professor at the University of Arkansas and the longtime director of the Arkansas poll.
Parry said it was unlikely Hutchinson would have real political implications for the veto against the anti-transgender rights bill. He noted that his approval rating by the likely voters was hovering around 70 percent throughout.
Hutchinson will be forced out of office next year due to time constraints. A primary GOP race is already taking shape, with candidates emphasizing their ties to Trump. Former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee
Sarah Sanders Andrew Giuliani Planning for New York Governor Trump Appears During Sarah Huckabee Sanders Campaign Event Trump Will Probably Form New Super PAC MORE Sanders is widely regarded as the forerunner, although he has never held the elected office.
Strategists and observers in Arkansas said Hutchinson had the pursuit of higher office as governor. He probably would not vote for the House, and Sen. John Boozman
John Nichols BoozmanTrump allies face potential fundraising incident Fundraising spits points on Trump GOP rifts Violating the John Lewis Voting Promotion Act is the first step to healing our democracy. (R-Ark.) Has already said he plans to elect him in 2022 for re-election.
Officials said a bid for a presidential ticket or a role in the next Republican government could not be pronounced. Hutchinson said he would not support Trump in 2024. Strategists suggested that Hutchinson’s efforts to see himself as a more traditional conservative ruler could put him in a position to make a national play in the coming year.
“His MO has always been part of the conversation,” said Michael Cook, a strategist who has worked on several Arkansas campaigns. Hutchinson added himself this week with his veto in the national conversation.
“I think, secondly, he is a conservative, but I think he is trying to make a national profile,” Cook added. “What he’s spelling himself out on is being part of the conversation and being a conservative person with a small degree of moderation that sets you apart from people who are Trump all the time.”