Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) vetoed a bill on Monday that would have banned trans girls from playing on girls’ sports teams in school.
In a letter to the Republican state House speaker, Holcomb said the legislation “falls short” and leaves “too many unanswered questions” in its quest for “fairness in K-12 sports.”
The bill, which passed the Republican-majority House earlier this year and the Republican-majority Senate earlier this month, would ban students whose sex at birth was registered as male but who now identify as female from playing on girls’ sports teams in school. (The bill does not, however, ban trans boys from playing on boys’ sports teams based on sex designation at birth.)
The governor’s letter explaining his veto pointed to lawsuits that have blocked similar legislation in other states, including Idaho and West Virginia. Holcomb said the bill’s language does not address the issues raised in those cases, including equal protection laws.
He also noted that after “thorough review,” his office found no evidence of any “existing problem in K-12 sports in Indiana that requires further state government intervention.”
The American Civil Liberties Union had slammed the bill for discriminating against trans youth, calling the legislation “hateful” and “harmful” and noting it appeared to violate federal law.
“Trans kids have a right to full lives, just like everyone else,” the civil rights group said.
The LGBTQ rights group Human Rights Campaign tweeted a response to the governor’s veto urging Indiana’s Republican lawmakers to “uphold the veto and #letkidsplay.”