Last month, North Carolina lawmakers passed a bill through state congress that would ban transgender girls from playing on school sports teams that align with their gender identity. But this week, Gov. Roy Cooper refused to sign the bill into law, using his veto power instead.
The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act passed the GOP-controlled state House 62-43 on June 22, but Cooper vetoed the bill when it arrived on his desk.
“We don’t need politicians inflaming their political culture wars by making broad, uninformed decisions about an extremely small number of vulnerable children that are already handled by a robust system that relies on parents, schools and sports organizations,” Cooper said in a released statement according to WCNC. “Republican governors in other states have vetoed similar bills because they hurt their states’ reputation and economy and because they are neither fair nor needed.”
Even though the veto momentarily blocks the legislation, the Republican-controlled North Carolina state congress is expected to override the veto with a three-fifths majority vote.
If North Carolina does override the veto and pass the bill anyway, the state will join at least 22 other states in banning transgender female athletes from participating in girls sports at school.
[WCNC]
