On Tuesday, March 31, 2026, Gov. Tony Evers pulled out his veto pen and wiped out five Republican backed bills that targeted transgender youth in Wisconsin. The measures would have restricted transgender students' access to gender affirming medical care, barred people assigned male at birth from competing on girls' and women's teams, and tightened school rules around names and pronouns. The governor held a private ceremony at the State Capitol and signed "Not approved" on each measure, a move he framed as keeping a promise to protect LGBTQ youth.
What The Bills Would Have Done
The five bills targeted a range of policies: bans on puberty blockers and many hormone treatments for minors, requirements that school boards adopt parent notification or parental consent rules for students changing names or pronouns, new limits on transgender students' participation in K-12 and higher education athletics, and a civil pathway to sue medical providers. Those descriptions are reflected in the governor’s veto messages and reporting on the measures. According to Wisconsin Public Radio, the bills would also have created new legal exposure for clinicians in Wisconsin.
Vetoes, Bill Numbers And Messages
In formal messages posted by the governor's office, Evers signed "Not Approved" on Assembly Bills 100, 102, 103 and 104 and on Senate Bill 405, the five measures Republican lawmakers sent to his desk. Each veto message reiterated his pledge to "veto any bill that makes Wisconsin a less safe, less inclusive, and less welcoming place for LGBTQ people and kids." The bill listings and links to the signed veto messages are summarized by WisPolitics.
Where This Fits In The National Debate
Lawmakers in several states have pushed similar measures, and public opinion has shifted toward more support for some limits on transgender participation and care. A Pew Research Center analysis found growing majorities backing policies that require trans athletes to compete according to sex assigned at birth and that restrict some gender transition care for minors. At the same time, the U.S. Supreme Court has signaled it may be inclined to uphold state bans on trans athletes, a development that could reshape the stakes of state level legislation; see reporting by AP for the national legal context.
Reactions At Home
Republican backers of the bills denounced the vetoes. Rep. Amanda Nedweski (R-Pleasant Prairie) said Evers had a "clear choice: stand with kids and families, or stand with a multi-billion-dollar industry profiting off irreversible procedures on minors," according to her statement reported by WisPolitics. Advocates and medical groups pushed back, saying the measures would harm already vulnerable youth and interfere with established standards of care.
Health Care Ripple Effects
Hospitals and clinics in Wisconsin have already been affected by federal policy shifts and legal uncertainty. Earlier this year, Children’s Wisconsin and UW Health paused prescribing puberty blockers and certain hormone therapies for minors, citing federal actions and escalating legal risk; advocates say that change compounds the harm of legislative attacks. Reporting on those pauses is documented by Wisconsin Public Radio.
What’s Next
Evers’ vetoes keep the measures off the books for now, but the debate is likely to continue on the campaign trail and in courtrooms. Supporters say they will press the issue legislatively, while the governor and advocates say they will continue to fight to protect trans and nonbinary youth in Wisconsin.
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