By Adam Roberts – 5/25/2021
The debate over transgender athletes in sports continues in Wisconsin this week, with a pair of bills authored by Madison Republicans getting public hearings this week.
Under the proposed laws, all K-through-12 schools, University of Wisconsin System schools, and state technical colleges would be required to divide all teams by sex and officially bar any athletes born male from women’s teams. The legislation would mirror laws passed in other states such as South Dakota and Mississippi.
“I think if the governor really cares about women, he absolutely should advance this legislation” said Oconomowoc Representative Barb Dittrich last March as she presented the bill to the Wisconsin Assembly. “And there should be no reason why it doesn’t go [anywhere], unless he’s a sexist.”
Governor Evers has already made it clear that if the bills do reach his desk, he plans on vetoing them. Both the Senate Committee on Human Services, Children and Families, and the Assembly Committee on Education will hold hearings tomorrow.