South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard says as it’s currently written, he will veto the transgender locker room bill if it reaches his desk.
Senate Bill 115 defines a person’s sex based on anatomy. It states that locker rooms, showers and changing facilities in public schools, shall be for use by persons of only the same sex.
The bill also states school districts can provide accommodations for transgender students.
Daugaard says if there are problems with privacy, those issues should be handled at the local level.
“I haven’t heard one instance of a problem in this area. Not one. But we have seen major problems in North Carolina when a bill like this was enacted,” Daugaard says. “Sioux Falls, in particular, has millions of dollars of NCAA tournaments planned in the next several years that I believe will be at risk if the state proceeds in an area where we need not proceed.”
The bill ignites a similar debate from last session over a transgender bathroom bill. The new bill is specific to locker rooms and changing rooms.
The bill is sponsored by Senator Lance Russell and Representative Thomas Brunner.
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Daugaard Says He Will Veto Transgender Locker Room Bill
Kealey Bultena
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SDPB