 |
| South Dakota Governor Krist Noem veoted an anti-trans bill she supported. |
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem went from eager to sign her state's anti-transgender athletes bill to reluctantly vetoing it, even though she refused to call what she did a veto. It was this turn which mostly likely stopped the bill's momentum as it died after the state legislature failed to override her veto. From Outsports:
The flaming runaway train that has been South Dakota Republicans’ effort to enact a ban on transgender student-athletes finally flew off the tracks today.Changes proposed by Republican Gov. Kirsti Noem to HB1217, aka the Act to Promote Continued Fairness in Women’s Sports, were soundly defeated Monday by the Republican-controlled State House of Representatives, on what is colloquially known as “Veto Day.” The Grand Forks Herald reported the final tally was 67-2, with all but two Democrats crossing party lines to stand with the Republicans against the embattled governor. The bill is now dead.One week ago today, Noem put all her eggs into the basket she called “Defend Title IX Now.” The governor who has been absolutely hammered by conservatives for refusing to sign HB1217, described it as a “coalition of legislators, leaders and athletes,” who will apply pressure in a “fill the jails”-style action to force the NCAA into a corner. The association would be forced to sue or sanction a number of schools nationwide, in order to uphold its trans-affirming policies in those states. “Once we have a coalition big enough to where the NCAA cannot possibly punish us all, then we can guarantee fairness at the collegiate level,” she said.Nah, said the State House of Representatives.
According to the article, Noem said she stopped supporting the bill to prevent what she was a coming lawsuit from the NCAA, which of course should send a message to other states who either passed or looking to pass anti-trans athletes bills.
Unfortunately I doubt it will change their minds. And neither will Noem's next move.
Outsports said that she is expected to call a special session of the legislature to push a new anti-trans bill. In reality, the session would be less about passing a bill and more about picking up the pieces of her reputation amongst right-wing conservatives. They are extremely angry at how they think she botched up an easy win against the LGBTQ community.
Even if she is successful, one wonders just how much her support from religious conservatives has been damaged.
UPDATE - This just in from the ACLU. I guess Govenor Noem didn't want to wait:
We won’t stop defending the right for everyone to live and thrive in South Dakota. pic.twitter.com/eNZe0DzrTl
— ACLU of South Dakota (@ACLUSouthDakota) March 29, 2021
