Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb gives his State of the Union address to a joint session of Parliament at the Statehouse on Tuesday, January 11, 2022, in Indianapolis.
Darron Cummings / AP
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Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb gives his State of the Union address to a joint session of Parliament at the Statehouse on Tuesday, January 11, 2022, in Indianapolis.
Contrary to the growing trend of transgender sports bans in GOP-led states, the Republican governors of Indiana and Utah have vetoed proposed laws in their states.
In a letter announcing his veto on Monday, Indiana Gov. Eric Holbomb said the legislation, which would have banned transgender female athletes from participating in girls’ sports, was “shortened.”
Holcomb said it was unclear whether the procedures outlined in the bill would be applied consistently in schools across Indiana. Other states that have implemented similar bans have faced lawsuits that, in some cases, prevented the bans from being enforced, he said.
States impose bans despite lack of clear science
Holcomb added that he was unconvinced by supporters’ arguments that there is an existing problem in K-12 sports in Indiana that requires the government to participate and that there is a lack of justice in women’s sports. To see also : Indiana reports 2,839 new COVID-19 cases; death toll rises to 21,298.
“After a thorough review, I find no evidence to support both claims even if I support the overall goal,” Holcomb wrote.
Opponents of the law welcomed Holcomb’s veto, saying the proposed law would have discriminated against trans children.
“This victory would not have been possible without the thousands of Hoosiers who have expressed their strong opposition to state lawmakers and who have appeared at the Statehouse to oppose this harmful bill,” the Indiana ACLU said in a tweet. “Discrimination has no place in our state.”
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