Last week the ADVOCATE printed a story from the AP that the bill to promote continued fairness in women’s sports, HB 1217, had died in the Senate State Affairs committee.
Based on legislative findings that “with respect to biological sex, one is either male or female” among other findings, the bill sought to block males from participating in female sports.
The bill was smoked out of committee, however, on March 4 and passed the full Senate by a 20-15 vote on March 8. It was then delivered to the Governor on March 10.
Shortly after the Legislature passed the bill the governor said she was “excited to sign’’ it. But at a news conference on March 11, she struck a more cautious tone while defending the proposed ban.
“We are still examining the bill, getting ready to make decisions on it,’’ Noem said, adding that was a process her office takes with every piece of legislation.
The bill applies to any athletic team or sport that is sponsored or sanctioned by a public school, a school district, an association meeting the requirements of §13-36-4, or an institution of higher education under the control of the Board of Regents or the South Dakota Board of Technical Education.
South Dakota is one of more than 20 states this year that has considered legislative measures along these lines.
