In GOP Strongholds, a Big Push on ‘Culture War’ Legislation

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Republican state legislators have been in overdrive this year on so-called culture-war bills.

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They've moved firmly on abortion limits, restrictions on the rights of transgender youth and more.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson offered a rare rebuke of that effort this past week by vetoing a bill banning gender-confirming treatments for transgender youth.

South Carolina, South Dakota, Oklahoma and Tennessee are among the states where GOP lawmakers are pushing similar cultural legislation from the right.

The bills reflect the larger mood of the Republican Party as it portrays Democrats as out of touch with average Americans.