Indiana GOP governor vetoes bill banning transgender athletes from high school sports

[krispos42]

Source: CNN

Indiana GOP governor vetoes bill banning transgender athletes from high school sports

By Jenn Selva, Amanda Musa and Paul LeBlanc, CNN

Updated 6:26 AM ET, Tue March 22, 2022

(CNN) Indiana Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb on Monday vetoed a bill that would've prohibited transgender women and girls from competing on sports teams consistent with their gender at schools in the state, saying the legislation was too broadly written.

The legislation, which cleared the state legislature earlier this month, states that "a male, based on a student's biological sex at birth in accordance with the student's genetics and reproductive biology, may not participate on an athletic team or sport designated under this section as being a female, women's, or girls' athletic team or sport." The bill would also protect schools and athletic associations from liability for enforcing the legislation.

But Holcomb said in a letter Monday, "Amidst the flurry of enthusiasm to protect the integrity and fairness of women's sports in our state -- a worthy cause for sure -- this bill leaves too many unanswered questions." The GOP governor specifically cited concerns about how the legislation would be applied consistently across the state, noted previous lawsuits challenging similar laws across the country and touted Indiana's K-12 sports program as it stands.

"If it is the goal of HEA 1041 to provide clarity and one consistent state policy regarding the fairness in K-12 sports in Indiana, for me this current bill falls short," he said.

(more)

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/22/politics/indiana-transgender-sports-ban-veto-governor-holcomb/index.html

[Aviation Pro]

1. Yeah, because this is more important than tackling the state's opioid and meth problem

Also, the murder problem so prevalent in red states.

Shaking my motherfucking head.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. We head to dictatorship with liability protection and the inability to challenge laws in court

[GB_RN]

3. So, Veto This...

But sign a bill for “constitutional carry”? WTF?

There is no right to carry a gun. Certainly no right for every idiot under the Sun to carry a gun any time, any place they wish. These bills are ASKING for trouble.

Do you know why gun control laws came about in the first place? The ulterior reason was to keep Black people from owning guns: Since most Black people were poor(er), the reasoning was that they couldn’t afford the extra fees for licenses and safety instruction classes, etc., on top of the gun itself.

When Black people start to carry guns in response to these laws (and asshole white guys with guns), what are these clowns in those state legislatures going to do, I wonder? 🧐🤨🙄

Edit to add: Sorry for the off topic rant.

[minstrel76]

4. It could have been worse. He could have signed both laws. I'll take it.

Maybe this governor knows, as most GOP governors don't seem to know or care, that these laws are losing propositions from a financial and constitutional standpoint. I wish other governors would have used the same logic when reviewing similar laws as this governor used in vetoing it; namely that this law (like so many other GOP contrived laws) are solutions in search of problems that don't exist and that the actual athletic organizations (that might know a thing or two more about the subject) have come up with their own rules and standards regarding transgender athletes.

Granted, the GOP burdened legislature will just override his veto, eventually, but with the current fascist, Putin-wannabe, unashamed, yet spineless GOP, I don't take any reprieve, however small, for granted.

[AngryOldDem]

5. General Assembly coming back in May to override.