Override Veto Allowing Bio-Males in Women's Sports

Override Veto Allowing Bio-Males in Women’s Sports
Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
May 18, 2022

In the May 14-15, 2022 WSJ, Tunku Varadarajan wrote “Trans Sports Give Utah Republicans a Ticket to Override.” The Hoosier State faces a similar fate on May 24 and should be given some attention as well.

Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb should be ashamed of himself for his veto of House Enrollment Act 1041 - a bill designed to protect women’s sports as well as the integrity of Title IX, celebrating 50 years of serving women - biological women’s - safe participation in K-12 sports.

HEA 1041 states that biological males will be ineligible to participate in high school girls sports - public, private, and charter schools. This piece of legislation is absolutely fair in the interest of protecting girls pursuit of athletic excellence and future scholarship opportunities at the collegiate level.

Although the bill, penned by House member Michelle Davis (R-Whiteland), passed both Indiana houses, Holcomb vetoed it on March 21. The House and Senate will vote on May 24 to override Holcomb’s veto. A Constitutional majority of 51 votes in the House and 26 in the Senate are required to override the veto.

That this is even an issue, is shocking, considering the biological disadvantages faced by women in terms of bone density, lung capacity, heart capacity, and general speed. If the science isn’t enough, consider the news being made in Connecticut regarding high school track, and in swimming on the NCAA level, where biological males have shattered records biological females could not approach. Wrong on every level.

The Current in Westfield reported on April 5 that “Holcomb said there has not been a single case of a male wanting to compete on a female team that has completed a process to do so established by the IHSAA.” (Indiana High School Athletic Association) Irrelevant, and a poor excuse by a short-sighted governor.

To read the text of the bill: http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2022/bills/house/1041#digest-heading. To make your voices heard, call House members at 317-232-9600, and Senators at 317-232-9400 prior to the May 24 vote.

Sanford D. Horn is a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.