HELENA, Mont. — A transgender Montana lawmaker was silenced for a second day Friday as her Republican colleagues refused to let her speak on the chamber’s floor until she apologizes for saying lawmakers would have “blood on their hands” if they passed a law to ban gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth.
The standoff is expected to continue next week, with neither side ready to back down.
The bill at the heart of the issue is in the hands of Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte, who has indicated he will sign it.
Democratic Rep. Zooey Zephyr sought to speak on a bill Friday that would prevent minors from seeing pornography online, but the chair blocked the request and House Speaker Matt Regier asked lawmakers to uphold the decision he made a day earlier not to recognize her requests to speak.
“I’m still going to expect the same standard for all representatives in this House. I’m still going to stand for the dignity and integrity of this House,” Regier said. He said earlier that the silencing was necessary to “maintain decorum.”
The Republican majority in the House upheld his decision, as they did on Thursday.
Zephyr and House Minority Leader Kim Abbott have said Regier won’t allow her to speak on bills until she apologizes.
“It sounds like currently the speaker has made his intent clear,” Zephyr said after Friday’s floor session.
Zephyr said she would continue to request to speak on legislation, “because I was elected to represent my constituents and speak on their behalf.” If she is denied, she said, the Democrats will ask the House to vote on the decision.
The Legislature is expected to adjourn in early May.
Regier first shut down Zephyr on Thursday, when she wanted to comment on a bill seeking to put a binary definition of male and female into state code. The speaker also declined to recognize her on a second bill.
