Gregory Wayne Abbott (born November 13, 1957) is an American attorney who has served as the 48th governor of Texas since January 20, 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Abbott previously served as the 50th attorney general of Texas from 2002 to 2015. He is the third governor of any U.S. state to permanently use a wheelchair. He is also the first disabled governor in Texas history.
Transmissions: We cannot rest easy
I haven't been sleeping well lately, and it is largely Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott's fault.For some time, Abbott and his cronies in the Legislature have been trying to pass laws against transgender people.
He's not had an easy time of it, even calling a total of three special sessions in 2021 to, among other things, bar transgender students from participating in sports programs with their peers and halt health care for trans youth.Without the support of lawmakers, Abbott, as well as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), took the matter into their own hands.
Paxton, who is currently under FBI investigation for bribery and abuse of office (he has denied wrongdoing), issued a legal opinion declaring that some forms of trans health care, including puberty blockers, hormones, and surgery, should be listed as child abuse when presented to transgender youth.Before I go any further, I want to note that hormone treatments and surgery are not generally provided to transgender children, and I'm sure Paxton knows this, too.
At any rate, Abbott went through the door Paxton opened, issuing a directive requesting that state agencies begin to investigate transgender health care as child abuse.
