Indiana becomes 3rd state this year to override governor’s veto of anti-trans bill

“This is a policy that we feel is appropriate,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray (R) when the override passed. “We don’t like to get the state of Indiana sued, but it happens from time to time.”

The Indiana legislature passed a bill to ban transgender girls and women from participating in school sports in the state in March, and Holcomb vetoed it. In a letter that was made public, he said that the bill is unconstitutional and addresses a nonexistent issue in the state.

Holcomb also cited lawsuits that have been filed against states that passed similar laws. The lawsuits have argued that such bills violate equal protection provisions of the Constitution and Title IX, which bans discrimination on the basis of sex in all schools that receive federal funding. The Biden administration has said that Title IX applies to discrimination against LGBTQ students since it is impossible to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity without taking sex into account.

“In the two cases with initial rulings thus far, the courts have enjoined or prohibited laws with these same substantive provisions from taking effect based on equal protection grounds,” Holcomb wrote.