Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) vetoed a bill banning transgender children from playing school sports on Tuesday calling the bill, noting in a letter explaining his veto that "rarely has so much fear and anger been directed at so few."
Driving the news: Cox is the second Republican governor this week, after Indiana's Eric Holcomb, to veto legislation that would have banned trans youth from participating in school sports, making them outliers as 11 Republican governors have signed similar bills into law in recent years.
What he's saying: "I struggle to understand so much of it and the science is conflicting. When in doubt however, I always try to err on the side of kindness, mercy and compassion," Cox wrote in the letter to the leaders of the state House and Senate.
- Cox described the ongoing national debate regarding transgender participation in school sports as "one of the most divisive of our time," said the bill, HB11, has "several fundamental flaws and should be reconsidered."
- "I believe in fairness and protecting the integrity of women’s sports," he added. But said that despite ongoing negotiations, the bill was changed at the last minute in such a way that would "result in millions of dollars in legal fees for local school districts with no state protection.
Cox said several statistics influenced his decision, namely that there were only four transgender kids playing sports at the high school level in Utah and only one who played on a girls' team. He also cited the high rates of suicidal thoughts and attempts among trans youth. ...
- "Four kids and only one of them playing