Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem on Saturday demanded that legislators pass a new bill banning biological males from competing in women’s sports.
“Since Nov, I’ve been exploring litigation to defend Title IX and fairness in girls’ sports at ALL levels,” Noem tweeted. “To pursue that strategy, I’m asking legislators to pass a new bill on Veto Day, or I will call a special session. Let’s protect girls’ sports & fix the concerns with 1217.”
Since Nov, I’ve been exploring litigation to defend Title IX and fairness in girls’ sports at ALL levels.
To pursue that strategy, I’m asking legislators to pass a new bill on Veto Day, or I will call a special session. Let’s protect girls’ sports & fix the concerns with 1217.
— Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) March 20, 2021
House Bill 1217 bans biological males from participating in women’s sports, establishes that there are only two sexes (male and female), and acknowledges that there are “inherent” differences between men and women, according to the legislation’s language. (RELATED: Mississippi Becomes First State To Ban Transgender Students From Women’s Sports)
On March 8, Gov. Noem tweeted about her excitement to sign HB 1217. But Noem sent the bill back to the state legislature due to its “vague and overly broad language,” according to a Friday press release.
“It could have significant unintended consequences,” the press release said.
“For example, Section 2 of House Bill 1217 requires a student athlete to verify, each year, that the student ‘is not taking and has not taken, during the preceding twelve months, any performance enhancing drugs, including anabolic steroids,’” it continued.
Part of the bill could foster an environment of lawsuits against educational institutions and athletes suspected of doping, and ultimately impose “an unworkable administrative burden on schools,” the governor’s office said.
This post originally appeared on and written by:
Melanie Wilcox
The Daily Caller 2021-03-21 00:49:00
