Montana Republicans bar transgender lawmaker from the statehouse floor

Zooey Zephyr will be able to vote remotely, however the decision has drawn protests that brought the legislature to a halt

Montana Republicans have barred the transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr from the statehouse floor for the rest of the session after she told colleagues they would have blood on your hands" if they voted to ban gender-affirming medical care for trans children.

Under the terms of the punishment, Zephyr will still be able to vote remotely but will be unable to participate in debates on the floor for the remainder of the 90-day legislative session. The Democratic representative had been forbidden from speaking for the past week over her comments, which Republicans said violated decorum.