Utah Lawmakers Override Governor's Veto and Pass Bill to Protect Women's Sports

The Republican-supermajority Utah legislature has voted to override Governor Spencer Cox's veto of a bill that would ban biological males from competing against women and girls in school sports.

Democrats in the House and Senate were each joined by two Republican lawmakers who opposed the bill.

"The bill, HB11, originally intended to create a commission charged with evaluating whether a transgender athlete could participate in a school sport - a compromise that avoided an outright ban. But during final hours of the legislative session earlier this month, the Legislature passed a last-minute amendment to the bill that banned transgender girls from participating in female school sports," the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

The bill's sponsor state Rep. Kera Birkeland, defended the bill amongst heated debate by pointing out that transgender stuents could still participate in co-ed sports.

Cox had said that he was vetoing the bill because wanted to protect "The integrity of women's sports" while allowing transgender students to participate.

"The bill includes a clause that if a lawsuit over the ban is taken to a Utah court and is found to be unconstitutional, the commission will take effect. Senate President Stuart Adams said litigation over the bill is expected," the Tribune report added.

"The Legislature also proposed and passed a bill that would indemnify high schools over legal costs if they're sued over the legislation, addressing concerns that the ban would result in a costly legal battle at the expense of the Utah High School Activities Association, which represents nearly 160 high schools."

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/03/utah-lawmakers-override-governors-veto-bill-protect-womens-sports/