INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WRTV) — Indiana's legislature voted to override the governor's veto of a bill that would ban transgender girls from participating on girls' sports teams at K-12 public schools.
The Indiana House voted to override the veto on Tuesday with a 67-28 vote and the Senate overrode the veto with a 32-15 vote.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb vetoed the bill earlier this year.
In a letter to Republican House Speaker Todd Huston, Holcomb, a Republican, said the bill leaves too many unanswered questions for him to support the bill "even if I support the overall goal."
He said the presumption of the policy laid out in HEA 1041 is there is an "existing problem" requiring state intervention. He also pointed to a number of potential issues, including frustration among students, parents and administrators, lawsuits and lawsuits filed or threatened to have been filed in other states after similar legislation was passed.
He said HEA 1041 is unclear how consistency and fairness will be maintained for parents and students across different counties and school districts. Holcomb said he shares concerns and confusion raised by the Indiana High School Athletic Association during testimony about exactly who or how procedures will be established and maintained under the current bill.
"Meaning, student-athletes could be treated differently according to which school they attend and compete for," Holcomb wrote. "Frustration of students, parents and administrators will likely follow. This of course only increases the likelihood of litigation against our schools with the courts having to adjudicate the uncertainties."
Not a single "male seeking to participate on a female team has completed the process established" by the IHSAA policy, he said.
The latest By-Laws & Articles of Incorporation from the Indiana High School Athletic Association allow transgender student-athletes to obtain a waiver through IHSAA's Gender Policy to participate on single-gender athletic teams.
This story was originally reported by Andrew Smith on WRTV.com.
