Local Lawmakers Override Governors Veto “To Protect Girls’ Sports”

Local Lawmakers  Voted  To Override The Governors Veto to “Protect Girl Sports” In Indiana

MAY 25, 20022

Indiana State legislators voted on Tuesday to override the governor’s veto of House Enrolled Act 1041, which prohibits biological males from competing in K-12 girls’ sports in Indiana. The vote came as part of technical corrections day, where lawmakers can take up any vetoes and fix technical errors in laws passed during the prior session.

“Young women have fought hard for the same opportunities as men, and it’s only right to protect the integrity of girls’ sports in Indiana,” State Representative Bartels (R) said. “Overriding this veto was important so we can prevent unfair competition throughout our state.”Indiana will join at least 16 other states that have similar laws on the books protecting female sports. Lindauer said concerned parents reached out after an increasing number of biological males have dominated the national spotlight in girls’ athletic events across the nation.

“Female athletes work hard to win titles and earn scholarships, and shouldn’t watch from the sidelines because a biological male took their playing time,” State Representative Lindauer (R) said. “This is about fairness, and overriding the veto was the right thing to do.”

There are certain biological differences that give males an unfair advantage over females in sports, like greater muscle mass, bone density, and cardio capacity. Lindauer said the vote Tuesday was especially important as June marks the 50^th anniversary of Title IX, which ensures women have an equal opportunity to play and compete in sports.

In Indiana, a gubernatorial veto can be overridden with a constitutional majority vote in both chambers, and the bill becomes a law without the governor’s signature. For more information about House Enrolled Act 1041, effective on July 1, 2022, visit iga.in.gov.

Area Lawmakers who voted to override the governor’s veto to protect the integrity of girl sports in Indiana were TIM O’BRIEN (R), WENDY MCNAMARA (R), MATT HOSTELLER (R), AND CINDY LEDBETTER (R).  The lone area Democrat who voted not to overturn the Governor’s veto was RYAN HATFIELD (D).

FOOTNOTE: At press time we had a problem verifying how Indiana State Senators Becker (R) and Toomes (R) voted on this issue but shall provide our readers an update once we find the results.

We also find it interesting that our local lawmakers didn’t make any comments concerning their vote on this issue. We feel that it’s very important for the voters of this community to find out the rationale why our local representatives voted on this issue the way they did.