Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said he believes that Tennessee Solicitor General Matt Rice strongly defended Senate Bill 1 (SB1) in front of the Supreme Court. SB1 is Tennessee’s state law that bans irreversible gender transition-inducing puberty blockers and hormones for minors.
Governor Bill Lee signed SB1 into law last year, which forbids healthcare providers from performing or administering to underage children “gender-affirming” medical procedures or treatments – including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and sex-change surgeries – for the purpose of enabling the child to identify with the opposite gender.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case challenging the law, United States v. Skrmetti, brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), families of transgender children, and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
Skrmetti said he was “really proud” of Rice, who argued the case and defended the state law.
“[Rice] was fantastic. I have friends who have advocated multiple times before the court who have been raving to me about what an exceptional job he did in tough circumstances. He was hit pretty hard and he stood his ground. He was extremely articulate and thoughtful. I was really proud,” Skrmetti said on Friday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show.
“I feel absolutely confident that we put the best possible case on in defense of Tennessee’s law, and I’m so proud of the team that worked on this case. We did a terrific job for all the people of the state,” Skrmetti added.
