Democrats Kill Texas Bill on Transgender Athletes by Filibuster

Democrats in the Texas House of Representatives have stalled a bill on transgender athletes before it went to a vote, The Hill reported.

The measure would have required transgender athletes to compete on sports teams corresponding to their gender assigned at birth. 

The bill, SB 29, had already passed the state Senate, but it died Tuesday in the House, after Democrats ran out the clock with amendments and questions, according to The Guardian.

The measure failed to receive a vote by midnight Tuesday, the “pass-or-die” deadline.

A number of bills on transgender athletes have been proposed or passed across the U.S., largely in GOP-controlled states, including Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas, which have enacted similar bans. 

In March, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, signed an executive order essentially requiring that only girls play in girls sports.

“Given the legislature’s failure to accept my proposed revisions to HB 1217, I am immediately signing two executive orders to address this issue: one to protect fairness in K-12 athletics, and another to do so in college athletics,” she said, NPR reported.

There have so far been more than 30 pieces of legislation proposed in 2021 to ban transgender women and girls from participating on sports teams that match their gender identity, according to a tally from The Washington Post.

The Guardian reports that the Texas bill is the third of its kind to die in the state’s Legislature this session. 

“It’s just an unnecessary, divisive bill that really harms, because even talking about the bill harms transgender youth in our state,” said state Rep. Chris Turner (D), chair of the House Democratic Caucus, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

However, the bill’s author, Republican state Sen. Charles Perry, told the Star-Telegram it is needed to provide a “fair and safe environment for women competitive athletes.” 

On Wednesday, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) said that he would ask Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to call a special session in the summer to address the bill and “save girl sports.”

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