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Dear Neighbor,
This week, House Republicans attempted to advance three bills aimed at protecting safe and fair competition in girls sports. Simply declaring that biological males cannot play girls sports should not be controversial, but House Democrats went ahead and sided with the radicals by blocking all three bills.
The House Republican effort to support female athletes comes as Minnesota faces a lawsuit from the Department of Justice for failing to protect girls sports and women-only spaces. It also follows a recent decision by the International Olympic Committee to bar men from competing in women’s Olympic events – something that apparently makes more sense internationally than it does at the Minnesota Capitol.
One of the proposals, the Preserving Girls Sports Act (H.F. 12), simply states that girls sports are for girls. Polling shows about 80 percent of the nation agrees with that notion. Yet by refusing to pass the bill, Democrats are keeping the door wide open for biological males to continue competing in girls sports.
What this issue really highlights is the importance of protecting the safety of girls and women. There are real, biological differences between males and females, no matter how much House Democrats try to ignore that reality.
Safety and fairness are fundamental to athletics, and participation should be based on biological sex to ensure a level playing field. Unfortunately, Twin Cities liberals would rather performatively cater to the extreme activists than stand up for girls who just want fair competition.
This debate isn’t happening in a vacuum. In March, the Department of Justice sued Minnesota, alleging the state is violating Title IX by allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls sports, creating an uneven playing field and limiting opportunities for female athletes. That lawsuit came after Minnesota missed a federal deadline earlier this year to update its policies.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled last fall that excluding males from female athletics could qualify as discrimination under public accommodation law, and the Minnesota State High School League continues to flout federal guidance on the issue. Remember when a male-born pitcher led a girls softball team to a state championship last spring – with a complete-game shutout in the finale?
And while Minnesota Democrats dig in, the rest of the world seems to be moving in a different direction. Beginning with the 2028 Los Angeles Games, the International Olympic Committee will prohibit athletes who have gone through male puberty from competing in the women’s category, citing fairness and safety.
This isn’t new. Democrats blocked a vote on the Preserving Girls Sports Act last year, and this week they repeated the pattern by shutting down not just H.F. 12, but two additional bills (H.F. 2685 and H.F. 1233) on party-line votes in our tied House.
For an issue where most Minnesotans are in clear agreement, Democrats continue to prove that common sense doesn’t always make it through the committee process.
Look for more from the House soon, especially as the subject of affordability comes to the forefront. House Republicans have authored numerous bills to ease the burden, including proposals to provide property tax relief, reduce vehicle tab fees, end the state tax on Social Security and more. Our approach marks a stark difference from the Democrats’ reckless spending and unnecessary tax increases during the trifecta years.
Sincerely,
Walter
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