The last time Republicans in South Dakota made a serious push to bar transgender girls from school sports, in 2019, their bill was known only by its nondescript numerical title, Senate Bill 49.
Its two main sponsors were men. And it died without ever getting out of committee, just 10 days after it was introduced. But when Republicans decided to try again in January, they were far more strategic in their approach.
The sponsors this time were two women who modeled their bill after a template provided by a conservative legal organization.
They gave the bill a name that suggested noble intent: the “act to promote continued fairness in women’s sports.” Supporters from Minnesota and Idaho traveled to the Capitol in Pierre to testify that a new.