A federal judge in Florida has ruled that the state's restrictions on Medicaid coverage for gender dysphoria treatments are invalid and violate federal laws, striking down a health code rule and a new state law. The ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Florida, and the Southern Poverty Law Center on behalf of four transgender people and the Florida chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Judge Hinkle said the laws violated federal laws on Medicaid, equal protection and the Affordable Care Act's prohibition of sex discrimination, and noted that the state had not provided any evidence that the treatments were medically unnecessary or posed a risk to the health of patients.
Posts tagged as “Hinkle”
A federal judge in Florida has temporarily blocked portions of a new law that bans transgender minors from receiving puberty blockers, allowing three transgender children to continue receiving treatment. The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida filed the lawsuit on behalf of the minors, and the court will continue to hear arguments in the coming weeks.
A federal judge has dismissed the lawsuit brought by former Florida state attorney Andrew Warren against Governor Ron DeSantis for suspending him last year. The judge ruled that the suspension violated Warren's free speech rights, but that he could not reverse the state-level suspension due to federal law. Warren will now have to plead his case to the Republican-controlled Florida Senate, which has the final say on whether to permanently remove him from office.