GOP governors veto laws on girls sports

Bucking party trends, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb vetoed similar bills that protected girls in K-12 sports from competing against boys. Both GOP-majority state legislatures immediately said they would convene sessions to override the vetoes. “Doing nothing is taking a step backward for women,” said Utah Senate President Stuart Adams.

Why did they veto? There are four athletes in Utah who are eligible to compete cross-gender according to the state high school athletic association’s standards. Only one competes in girls’ sports. Cox said lawmakers failed to prove the need for such a bill and he wants to “err on the side of kindness” and support the “four kids who are just trying to find some friends and feel like they are a part of something.” In Indiana, Holcomb initially expressed support for the law. But in his veto letter, he wrote the ban does not create a clear fairness policy for K-12 sports and does not prove it has been an issue in the state so far. Eleven states have enacted laws about transgender participation in sports, and lawmakers in 12 more are considering similar bills.

Dig deeper: Read Ray Hacke’s report in Muse on transgender swimmer Lia Thomas’ recent NCAA win.