MADISON – Rep. Amanda Nedweski (R–Pleasant Prairie) issued the following statement in response to the Assembly’s passage of AB 400 and AB 501, legislation she authored to protect children harmed by gender transition procedures and preserve freedom of speech and viewpoint diversity on college campuses:
“For too long, powerful pharmaceutical companies and large-scale medical providers have raked in billions of dollars by pushing scientifically unproven and medically unnecessary gender transition procedures on vulnerable children without meaningful accountability,” Nedweski said. “In recent weeks, we have seen the power of medical accountability, as organizations like the American Medical Association reversed their stance on gender transition surgeries for minors. AB 400 is a positive step toward bringing that accountability to Wisconsin.”
The legislation’s passage follows a recent $2 million medical malpractice verdict in New York involving a detransitioner who underwent a double mastectomy at age 16. The case marked the first successful detransitioner malpractice verdict in the nation and prompted major medical organizations to reconsider their positions on performing transition surgeries on minors. AB 400 passed on a vote of 53-45, with all Democrats voting against.
“It is disheartening to see my Democrat colleagues put the profit margins of multi-billion-dollar industries ahead of the safety of young children,” Nedweski added. “Medical accountability should not be partisan.”
In addition to AB 400, the Assembly also passed AB 501, the Campus Free Speech Bill, which codifies the UW System’s existing Regent Policy 4-21 into state law and establishes clear enforcement mechanisms to protect the First Amendment rights of students, staff, and campus visitors.
“When more than one out of every three students at UW–Madison believes violence is an acceptable way to suppress speech, it’s clear we have a serious civility problem on campus,” Nedweski said, citing a recent survey by the nonpartisan Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. “AB 501 simply puts the UW’s own free speech policy into law and ensures it is enforced. We cannot allow violence or intimidation to become a normalized substitute for free debate.”
Both AB 400 and AB 501 now head to Governor Evers’ desk for consideration. In addition to the two bills authored by Rep. Nedweski, the Assembly also advanced a series of regulatory reform measures known as the “Red Tape Reset,” which Nedweski co-authored, aimed at reducing burdensome administrative rules and helping Wisconsin businesses prosper.
Rep. Nedweski represents the 32nd Assembly District, which includes the Town and Village of Bloomfield, Village of Bristol, Town of Brighton, Village of Genoa City, portions of Kenosha and Lake Geneva, Village of Paddock Lake, Town of Paris, Village of Pleasant Prairie, Town of Randall, Village of Salem Lakes, Village of Twin Lakes, and the Town of Wheatland.
