State Rep. Drew Roach, a Republican, will introduce legislation to repeal a Minnesota state law which bans psychologists and other mental health professionals from using talk therapy to help people live in accordance with their biological sex.
“Every Minnesotan deserves the right to seek counseling that respects their values, beliefs, and goals,” said Roach in a press release. “This inhumane law silences therapists, denies patients real options, and imposes one political ideology on deeply personal medical decisions. That is not compassion—it is government overreach.”
The statute Roach is seeking to repeal was enacted in 2023 when Democrats controlled state government and passed many new bills. Among them was HF 16, which bans mental health counselors from helping children and vulnerable adults who do not want to live with an abnormal sexual identity. Supporters of HF 16 called it a ban on “conversion therapy.”
In effect, the language of HF 16 created a one-way street: counselors are barred by law from helping people change their behavior to align with their biological sex, but counselors are allowed to assist their clients in pursing gender transition and homosexuality.
Proponents of HF 16 said “conversion therapy” leads to mental health issues and presumes that irregular sexual identities are a problem. Opponents of HF 16 said the bill suppresses speech the government dislikes and keeps vulnerable people from getting care they want.
HF 16 became state law after it was passed by the state legislature and signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz. Specifically, the law bans therapy “that seeks to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity, including efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions.”
While many of the Democrats’ legislative priorities passed along party lines in 2023, HF 16 passed with Republican support. Notable GOP lawmakers who supported the ban include Kurt Daudt, Elliott Engen, Pat Garofalo, Patricia Mueller, Andrew Myers, Danny Nadeau, Duane Quam, Nolan West, Zach Duckworth, and Jeremy Miller.
Gov. Walz calls special session in wake of Annunciation shooting
Earlier Tuesday, Walz announced he plans to call a special session of the state legislature in the wake of last week’s shooting at Annunciation Catholic School where two children were killed and 18 other people were shot.
The shooter was later identified as Robin Westman, a 23-year-old. With his mother’s help, Westman legally changed his name from Robert to Robin in 2020 when he was 17. A court order granting the name change says “Minor child identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification.”
While a specific date has not been set for the special session, Walz has already pledged to put forward a series of gun control bills. The governor’s gun control package includes new gun storage regulations, a ban on “assault” weapons, and a requirement that gun owners purchase insurance for their firearms.
Meanwhile, a press release from Roach’s office said the GOP lawmaker intends to introduce his aforementioned legislation if Walz calls a special session. As such, any special session that occurs will likely be dominated by discussions of transgenderism and gun control.
“This is about restoring choice and protecting the therapeutic relationship between patient and counselor,” Roach said of his bill. “The government has no business mandating what outcomes people must pursue in the privacy of their counseling sessions.”
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
