PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Larry Rhoden and a coalition of 25 Republican governors issued a formal statement Tuesday urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold state laws that restrict participation in female sports to their “biological sex.”
“Forcing women and girls to compete against men, with greater strength and speed, is the opposite of inclusive. It’s unfair,” wrote Governor Larry Rhoden and other colleagues. “Across the nation, Republican governors have taken action to enact commonsense laws protecting girls’ and women’s sports in our states.”
The joint appeal coincides with oral arguments heard by the high court in two landmark cases, Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J. Both cases involve challenges to state statutes in Idaho and West Virginia that require student athletes to compete on teams based on their biological sex.
The outcome of the Supreme Court proceedings could have significant implications for South Dakota. In 2022, then-Governor Kristi Noem signed SB 46 into law, which established similar requirements for K-12 and collegiate sports. At the time of its signing, the legislation was described by the administration as the most restrictive in the United States regarding the protection of female athletics.
Those that signed include: Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Idaho Governor Brad Little, Indiana Governor Mike Braun, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo, New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte, North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, South Carolina Governor Henry Dargan McMaster, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey, and Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon.
