Louisiana Again Passes Anti-Trans Sports Bill, Setting Up Veto Fight
as he did last year.The Louisiana Senate gave final approval to the bill Monday, going along with a House change that removed intramural sports from the legislation.
It still covers interscholastic sports at the K-12 and college levels, affecting both public schools and any private ones that receive state funds.Edwards, a Democrat, has called the deletion of intramural sports significant but said he still believes the bill is unnecessary, the Associated Press reports.
He has not stated if he will sign or veto it. He has 10 days to make a decision.Upon his veto in 2021, he released a statement dubbing that legislation “a solution in search of a problem,” as even the author of the bill couldn’t cite “a single case where this was an issue.” He also expressed sympathy for young trans people.Lawmakers attempted to override his veto, but the House tally was two votes short of the required two-thirds majority.
This year, both the House and Senate have approved the bill by veto-proof margins, the AP notes.Several civil rights groups are urging Edwards to veto the new legislation. “Governor Edwards must listen to the majority of Louisianans who support equal rights for transgender and LGBTQ+ people and use his power to veto this hateful bill,” said a statement from Peyton Rose Michelle, secretary on the Louisiana Trans Advocates board of directors. “We know that young people’s health and freedoms come first, no matter their gender, and we’ll keep fighting for a better state for all kids.”“Governor Edwards vetoed this exact piece of legislation last year because discriminatory, anti-transgender bills are unacceptable government overreach,” added SarahJane Guidry, executive director of Forum for Equality. “With the stroke of a pen,.
