HELENA, Mont. — A Montana law banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors will remain temporarily blocked, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday, after justices agreed with a lower court judge who found the law likely violates the state’s constitutional right to privacy.

The case against the Montana law now goes to trial before District Court Judge Jason Marks in Missoula.

“I will never understand why my representatives are working to strip me of my rights and the rights of other transgender kids,” Phoebe Cross, a 17-year-old transgender boy and lead plaintiff, said in a statement. “Just living as a trans teenager is difficult enough, the last thing me and my peers need is to have our rights taken away.”

The attorney general’s office said it looks forward to defending the law, with a spokesperson noting there are recent scientific and legal developments that support lawmakers’ postion. This court decision comes as the British government on Wednesday banned puberty blockers for children with gender dysphoria, citing an unacceptable safety risk.

The U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month heard arguments over Tennessee’s ban on puberty blockers, hormones or surgery for transgender minors, with observers saying it appeared the justices were likely to uphold the ban. The Biden administration had sought to block similar bans that exist in more than half the states.

“Because Montana’s constitutional protections are even stronger than their federal counterparts, transgender youth in Montana can sleep easier tonight knowing that they can continue to thrive for now, without this looming threat hanging over their heads,” said Kell Olsen, an attorney for Lambda Legal.

Legislative debate over Montana’s bill drew national attention in the spring of 2023 after Republicans punished Democratic Rep. Zooey Zephyr — the first transgender woman elected to the state’s Legislature — for admonishing lawmakers who supported the bill.

Marks blocked the law late lasg year, just days before it was to take effect. He agreed with transgender young people, their families and health care providers that the law is likely unconstitutional and would harm the mental and physical health of minors with gender dysphoria, rather than protect them from experimental treatments, as supporters claim.

The judge noted the same Republican-controlled Legislature passed a law saying patients, including minors, have a right to receive treatment for other issues with experimental drugs — as long as it’s recommended by a health care provider and they give consent.

Marks said he could only conclude the Legislature’s stated intent in passing the law was “disingenuous,” and it seemed more likely its purpose is to “ban an outcome deemed undesirable by the Montana Legislature, veiled as protection for minors.”.

Montana is one of at least 26 states that have passed bans on gender-affirming medical care for minors and most face lawsuits. Some bans have been temporarily blocked by courts, while others have been allowed to take effect. Fifteen states have enacted protections for gender-affirming medical care for minors.

In Montana’s case, transgender youth argued the law would ban them from continuing to receive gender-affirming medical care, violating their constitutional rights to equal protection, the right to seek health care and the right to dignity. The state Supreme Court upheld the injunction based on the right to privacy.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is one game from an achievement that’s been reached by only Joe Montana during the NFL’s AFC/NFC era.

In each of his past seven games, Tagovailoa has completed at least 70 percent of his passes. The only quarterback to complete at least 70 percent of his passes in eight consecutive games in the same season is Montana, who did so in 1989, when he led the San Francisco 49ers to their fourth NFL championship in a nine-season span.

Tagovailoa’s streak wouldn’t still be going except for his performance in overtime during the Dolphins’ 32-26 victory against the New York Jets on Sunday.

WITH ‘NO ROOM FOR ERROR,’ TUA TAGOVAILOA, DOLPHINS RALLY FOR OVERTIME VICTORY

The former Alabama All-American entered the extra period having completed 27-of-40 passes in the game – 67.5 percent. But Tagovailoa completed his final six passes in overtime to get Miami into the end zone for a victory without the Jets offense ever getting on the field and get his completion rate for the contest to 70.2 percent.

“I don’t think two years ago this game occurs,” Miami coach Mike McDaniel said during his postgame press conference. “He continues to get better. I think he had 47 pass attempts this week. He had 40 last week. I think it’s been since the Monday night game (on Nov. 11) that he’s turned the ball over. It’s a lot of work, and all of his work is paying off because he’s a naturally gifted quarterback, not only the skill sets but people gravitate towards him. He makes people better. That’s an incredibly important part of that position. …

“What he’s doing is he’s mastering the art. The hardest thing to do — you could argue the hardest position to play — is quarterback out of all the positions in sports. And the biggest differentiator with quarterbacks is: It’s a big moment. There’s a lot of stuff on you. And to be able to play clear-minded and let the game come to you – case in point, 47 pass attempts and zero interceptions again – it’s really cool to see.”

New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees completed 74.4 percent of his passes in 2018 to establish the NFL single-season record. (Brees also had a streak of eight consecutive games completing at least 70 percent of his passes, but they came in the final five games of 2017 and the first three games of 2018.) Tagovailoa is at 73.8 percent for the 2024 season.

Over Miami’s past three games, when Tagovailoa has completed 99-of-133 passes for 1,013 yards with eight touchdowns and no interceptions, the Miami quarterback has put his name beside some of the game’s greats.

With three consecutive games with at least 300 passing yards, two or more touchdown passes and no interceptions, Tagovailoa became the seventh quarterback to achieve that feat in the NFL’s AFC/NFC era, and there have been only two longer streaks – five games apiece by Peyton Manning (straddling the 2012 and 2013 seasons) and Brees (in 2011).

Tom Brady had three such three-game streaks, and Patrick Mahomes has done it twice. The other quarterbacks to accomplish the feat are Brian Hoyer and Aaron Rodgers.

Tagovailoa’s past three games have included an even rarer streak. He’s the first player in NFL history to put together three consecutive games with at least 40 passes, two or more touchdown passes and no interceptions in a single season. Kirk Cousins also had such a three-game streak as the Minnesota Vikings quarterback, but the first two games were the final two contests of the 2020 season, and he got Game No. 3 to open the 2021 campaign.

For the first time in his NFL career, Tagovailoa has passed for 300 yards in three straight games. That’s tied for the Dolphins record with four such streaks by Dan Marino, which occurred in the 1984, 1988, 1994 and 1998 seasons.

Tagovailoa is the second quarterback from Alabama to post three consecutive 300-yard passing games in a single season, following Jeff Rutledge. In 1983, Rutledge made four starts for the New York Giants and passed for at least 325 yards in each of the final three. Rutledge’s only other 300-yard passing game in the NFL occurred seven years later. (Joe Namath had a three-game 300-yard streak, but it came in the final two games of the 1967 season and the first game of the 1968 campaign.)

Miami plays the Houston Texans at noon CST Sunday at NRG Stadium in Houston.

The Texans have allowed one quarterback to throw for 300 yards this season. Cooper Rush completed 32-of-55 passes for 354 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the Dallas Cowboys’ 34-10 loss to Houston on Nov. 18.

Two quarterbacks have completed at least 70 percent of their passes against the Texans in 2024, and Houston lost both games – to Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers 24-22 on Oct. 20 and Will Levis and the Tennessee Titans 32-27 on Nov. 24.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

MISSOULA — The transfer portal opened Monday and the Montana Grizzlies have gotten to work, and their first known addition is a Treasure State native returning home.

Whitefish native Fynn Ridgeway announced via social media his commitment to join the Grizzlies on Tuesday afternoon. Ridgeway, a 2023 graduate of Whitefish High School, spent the last two seasons at NCAA Division II Minnesota State University Moorhead.

“All Glory to God. Let’s get to work,” Ridgeway wrote on social media with a photo of the Griz logo.

All Glory To God. Let’s get to work. @MontanaGrizFB pic.twitter.com/AH4htDc8VM

— Fynn Ridgeway (@FynnRidgeway) December 10, 2024

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Ridgeway, an all-state quarterback and cornerback for the Bulldogs in high school, played running back for the Dragons in his two seasons there. Ridgeway redshirted in 2023 and played in three games where he rushed for 93 total yards and one touchdown.

For a pass-heavy offense in 2024, the 6-foot-1, 215-pound Ridgeway was MSUM’s leading rusher through 11 games. He carried the ball 59 times for 214 yards and three touchdowns. He also caught 23 passes for 207 yards and two more scores.

At Whitefish, Ridgeway threw for 6,213 passing yards and ran for 1,915 in his career while scoring 86 career touchdowns with the Bulldogs.

In his senior year in the fall of 2022, he threw for 1,866 yards and 16 scores and ran for another 1,308 yards and 18 touchdowns. For his efforts, Ridgeway competed in the 2023 Montana East-West Shrine Game for the West.

Ridgeway transfers to UM with three years of eligibility remaining. He’s the first known transfer in for the Griz in this latest cycle.

Four players are known to have entered the portal from the Grizzlies including a pair of starters in quarterback Logan Fife and cornerback Ronald Jackson. Also entering the portal are sophomore linebacker Cooper Walton and freshman defensive end Tyson Simmons.