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Gov. Hobbs issues executive order mandating gender-affirming care for state employees

Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, center, is flanked by Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma, R-Glendale, left, and Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, right, at Hobbs' state of the state address at the Arizona Capitol in Phoenix on Jan. 9, 2023. On Friday, Jan. 13, 2023, Hobbs' office released its budget proposal, including her plan to seek a repeal of a massive expansion of Arizona's school voucher program.
Ross D. Franklin
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AP Photo
Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, center, is flanked by Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma, R-Glendale, left, and Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, right, at Hobbs' state of the state address at the Arizona Capitol in Phoenix on Jan. 9, 2023.

Gov. Katie Hobbs issued a pair of executive orders to expand protections for LGBTQ+ Arizonans Tuesday.

The orders allow state and university employees to access gender-affirming surgery and sever any official involvement with so-called conversion therapy.

The actions direct the agency that oversees state employee health insurance plans to remove a prohibition on coverage for gender-affirming surgery established in 2017.

It also specifically prohibits the use of state or federal dollars to "promote, support, or enable" the practice of attempting to convince individuals — particularly minors — that they are not gay.

The orders were met with threats of litigation from conservative advocates.