AUSTIN — As a powerful Texas House committee chairman may potentially block a proposed state law to protect children from permanently scarring operations, one of the state’s top officials has now entered the fight.
On Wednesday, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller blasted State Rep. Dustin Burrows (R–Lubbock) for “holding up” a child protection bill in the final month of the state legislative session. House Bill 1399 would prohibit medical professionals from cutting off children’s healthy body parts and administering cross-sex hormones or other sterilizing drugs.
“You know, it’s wrong that sex-change operation on minors is perfectly legal in Texas. Really?” Miller began in a radio ad. “We don’t even allow minors to drink, buy cigarettes, vote, or engage in sexual activities—but we do allow them to have life-altering sex-change operations.”
“You know, House Bill 1399 will stop that here in Texas by banning hormone sex change and chemical castration on minors,” Miller continued. “One man is standing in the way: that’s your representative Dustin Burrows of Lubbock, who chairs the Calendars Committee and is holding up the bill because woke corporations put pressure on him.”
As chairman of the Calendars Committee, Burrows has the power to determine which bills make it to the full House chamber for consideration and a vote.
“We need to fight back,” Miller concluded. “Please call Dustin Burrows now at 512-463-0542 and tell Dustin that sex-change operations on minors is just flat wrong and if he won’t stop them, you’ll replace him with someone who will. Tag him on Twitter: @burrows4tx.”
The disfiguring operations issue has taken a recent national spotlight in Texas with the case of James Younger, a young boy whose mother wanted to force him—against the father’s wishes—to take sterilizing drugs and eventually castrate him.
The Texas Senate approved a similar bill on Tuesday that would classify certain mutilating procedures as child abuse.
“This is all about protecting children,” said State Sen. Bob Hall (R–Edgewood). “We have other things that are practiced by some cultures. There was a time when parents would actually mutilate a child if they were caught stealing … cut a hand off. I don’t think we would allow that today.”
“My recent legislative priorities have been humble. Pass a monuments protection act that 90 percent of registered [Republican voters statewide] support, and protect kids from chemical castration. The latter must enjoy nearly 100 percent support,” Texas grassroots activist and former U.S. House candidate Chris Ekstrom told Texas Scorecard. “But neither priority has been passed on to Gov. Abbott’s desk. Why? Texans truly WANT to know: WHY?”
“I speak to conservative leaders across America, one in Ohio asked me, ‘Is [chemical castration of children] legal in Texas?’” Ekstrom concluded. “Imagine my abject shame when I had to answer ‘yes.’”
After Commissioner Miller’s ad was released, HB 1399’s author, State Rep. Matt Krause, complained on Twitter about Miller promoting his bill and admonishing legislators to swiftly approve it.
This below frustrates me. I appreciate folks advocating for good policies (esp when it is my bill! 😀), but I don’t like misinformation. https://t.co/YrWZcfVwxU
HB 1399 just got into Calendars last night. There’s no slow walking here. @Burrows4TX & Cmte literally just got it.
— Matt Krause (@RepMattKrause) April 28, 2021
Though HB 1399 technically made it to the Calendars Committee on Tuesday, the bill has been waiting for a scheduling for several weeks.
The State Legislature has only 32 days left in their session. Concerned citizens may contact their state representatives.
