Almost 10 days have passed since a bill that would ban transsexual girls and women from female sports in South Dakota came to Governor Kristi Noem’s desk.
The staunch Republican and former ally of Donald Trump said she was “excited” to sign the bill after the state Senate passed the measure on March 8.
But since receiving the project on March 10, Noem has not yet sanctioned it – signaling that his enthusiasm for the measure has changed.
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“We are still looking at that and I will probably have a decision in the next two or three days,” Noem said in an interview on Thursday with the local media, Argus Leader. “It’s a complicated bill, not least because there are parts of it that are not well written.”
Fox News was unable to contact Noem immediately to comment on what legislation is causing her to hesitate, but similar projects have emerged across the country.
The United States has seen 42 bills trying to ban transsexual women and girls from participating in women’s sports presented in 26 states this year, an LGBTQ advocacy group, Freedom for All Americans, confirmed by Fox News.
This year’s legislative efforts are almost double the number of measures introduced in 2020 and a significant increase in the two bills introduced in 2019.
If Noem decides not to sign the latest South Dakota bill on transgender participation in athletics, the state House and Senate would need a two-thirds majority to override their veto – a requirement that could be a challenge for Republicans statewide.
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The state chamber passed the bill in February with strong support in a 50-17 vote. But the Senate was more divided with a 20-15 vote, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed to bypass the governor.