Republicans Eliminate Prohibition on Conversion Therapy in Wisconsin

Friday, January 13th, 2023 -- 1:01 PM

(Bob Hague, WRN) At the Capitol, a legislative committee votes to allow the controversial practice of “conversion therapy” in Wisconsin.

Republicans argued the state licensing board enacted a rule to ban the practice without legislative approval. Senator Steve Nass, “This can go in, and other policies in the future, it will set a precedent and I don't know where it'll stop.”

Senator Kelda Roys of Madison noted there are no therapists in the legislature. “Huh. So if there are none, doesn't that lend credence to the idea that . . . the legislature is not competent to decide what is professional conduct in a particular regulated industry?” Following a committee vote at the Capitol on Thursday, therapists in Wisconsin will be allowed to offer the controversial practice of “conversion therapy.”

Julaine Appling with Wisconsin Family Action agreed with Republicans, who said the state licensing board enacted a rule to ban the practice without legislative approval. “When a licensing board can . . . add what is included in discrimination without you all as the legislative body doing that I think that's a clear overreach.”

Thursday’s 6-4 party line vote in the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules will allow Wisconsin therapists to try to change a person’s sexual orientation.

Mark Herstad with the  National Association of Social Workers testified against that. “Child Abuse, torture, major mental health and suicidal risk, unprofessional conduct, fake therapy. These are words you could use to describe conversion or reparative therapy.”

Republicans on the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules argued the state licensing board enacted a rule to ban the practice without legislative approval. They did not address the merits of the practice.

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