Minnesota lawmakers advance trans athlete ban bill as state faces investigation for defying Trump order
Minnesota's House Education Policy Committee passed a bill on Thursday that would prevent trans athletes from playing in women's and girls sports in the state.
The bill, HF12, also known as the "Preserving Girls' Sports Act," states "only female students may participate in an elementary or secondary school level athletic team or sport that an educational institution has restricted to women and girls."
Many of the guest speakers in attendance shared the experiences of girls who have been physically and emotionally affected by trans athletes in sports.
A woman named Leanna Chambers shared the story of her 11-year-old daughter suffering a broken wrist after she was knocked down by a male.
"I hope there needs to be no more broken bones to show this is a broken system," said Leanna Chambers.
A Minnesota girls' volleyball player cited her friends' experience on the U.S. national volleyball team.
"My good friend was on the USA volleyball team last summer. She told me, quote, 'I sat behind the 6'4" man serving the volleyball and thought, "I could never receive that."' My friend is a 6'3" guard," she said. "What is the point of girls and boys teams if males can play on girls-only teams? Members, fellow Minnesotans, this isn't easy for me."
However, Democrats in attendance argued the rule would promote transgender discrimination. Minnesota state Rep. Alex Falconer preached this sentiment.
"Apparently, any parent, coach, person in the stands can call to question somebody's gender, somebody's sex, and remove them from the court," Falconer said. "This bill denies kids the opportunity to find their purpose, to find their place in schools, denies them to find the team they can identify with, causes significant mental damage when this group of people already face disproportionally higher mental health issues leading to societal ideation and suicidal attempts. This is a dangerous bill. … It's going to lead toward discrimination and harm."
After passing through the Education Policy Committee, the bill will now go to Minnesota's House of Representatives for a floor vote.
If it passes there, it will go to Gov. Tim Walz's desk. However, Walz, is a passionate advocate for trans rights.
Walz's daughter Hope Walz recently went viral on social media for a series of TikTok videos of her slamming President Donald Trump's recent executive order that bans trans athletes from girls and women's sports.
The Minnesota State High School League announced Feb. 7 that it would not be following Trump's "No Men in Women's Sports" executive order that bans trans inclusion from women's sports. Minnesota joined California, Maine and other Democrat-run states in defying Trump on the issue after the order was signed Feb. 5.
The U.S. Department of Education recently launched Title IX investigations into the Minnesota State High School League and the California Interscholastic Federation for refusing to comply with Trump on the issue.
"The Minnesota State High School League and the California Interscholastic Federation are free to engage in all the meaningless virtue-signaling that they want, but at the end of the day they must abide by federal law," said Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
"(The Office of Civil Rights') Chicago and San Francisco regional offices will conduct directed investigations into both organizations to ensure that female athletes in these states are treated with the dignity, respect and equality that the Trump administration demands. I would remind these organizations that history does not look kindly on entities and states that actively opposed the enforcement of federal civil rights laws that protect women and girls from discrimination and harassment."
The DOE added that state laws do not override federal anti-discrimination laws, so the associations are subject to investigations.
In California, state lawmakers have already introduced two bills to protect girls sports with similar purposes to the one that is being weighed in Minnesota.
Meanwhile, Minnesota's blue state neighbor Wisconsin has complied with Trump's order.
The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) announced Wednesday an update to its policies that stated only athletes "designated as females at birth" would be allowed to compete in girls sports, despite previously allowing trans athletes in girls sports dating back to 2013.
Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
8 minutes ago
- Axios
Trump administration briefed lawmakers before Israeli strikes
Trump administration officials provided classified briefings for congressional leaders before Israel struck Iran yesterday, with more planned for next week when lawmakers return to Washington, Axios has learned. Why it matters: Briefing key lawmakers is a matter of protocol. But it's also a way for the White House to guard against second-guessing from Congress, especially if U.S. forces are targeted by Iran and the conflict turns into a broader war. In briefings with senior members of Congress, White House officials have told them the administration isn't involved and doesn't think Israel attacking Iran is the appropriate thing to do at the moment, a U.S. official told Axios' Barak Ravid. Driving the news: Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) received briefings before the strikes began, according to people familiar with the matter. "Pursuant to federal law, I expect to receive a high-level briefing on the unfolding situation in the Middle East from the administration expeditiously," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said in a statement. "However, in advance of that briefing, there are core principles that remain foundational in the Middle East theater, one of the toughest neighborhoods in the world," Jeffries said. Zoom in: Members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence expect to be briefed by administration officials when senators return to Washington Monday afternoon, according to a person familiar with the matter. Senate Intel staff were briefed this morning, with a second briefing planned for this afternoon. Zoom out: The White House wants to ensure that Congress has real-time and accurate information on Israeli's strikes against Iran as well as Iranian response. In public, Trump officials have been clear that the U.S. did not participate In Israel's first round of attacks, which targeted Iran's military leadership and its nuclear facilities. What they're saying: Many lawmakers voiced their support for Israel, but others raised their concerns about where the conflict might head. "I applaud the bravery and audacity of Prime Minister Netanyahu, the IDF, and the Mossad. And I commend President Trump for his consistent support for Israel and opposition to Iran's nuclear program," Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), the Senate Intel Chair, said on X. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said: "Israel's strikes against Iran represent an escalation that is deeply concerning and will inevitably invite counterattacks."
8 minutes ago
Protests live updates: Marines spotted guarding federal building in LA
Marines are now on duty in Los Angeles for the first time. 3:32 Tensions are escalating between President Donald Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom as protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement continue to grip Los Angeles and spread to New York City, San Francisco, Boston, Austin, Texas, and other cities. Trump deployed about 4,000 National Guardsmen and 700 Marines to LA against Newsom's wishes. A federal appeals court Thursday delayed an order requiring the Trump administration to return control of the National Guard to Newsom, dealing the administration a temporary reprieve to what would have been a major reversal of its policy on the protests. 6 Updates Jun 12, 2025, 5:13 PM EDT Missouri governor activates National Guard in 'proactive approach' to protests Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe announced in a press release on Thursday that he is activating the Missouri National Guard as a precaution amid "recent instances of civil unrest across the country." The governor's actions come as anti-ICE protests have spread from Los Angeles to New York City, San Francisco, Boston, Austin, Texas and other cities across the U.S. Ahead of President Donald Trump's Army parade in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, officials have warned of "No Kings" protests planned in cities across the country as well. "We respect, and will defend, the right to peacefully protest, but we will not tolerate violence or lawlessness in our state. While other states may wait for chaos to ensue, the State of Missouri is taking a proactive approach in the event that assistance is needed to support local law enforcement in protecting our citizens and communities," Kehoe said in the statement. Kehoe's statement did not mention specific planned protests the governor's office is monitoring or the protests in Los Angeles. The coalition running the "No Kings" protests set for Saturday, however, is promoting protests in Missouri; the coalition has asked participants to keep the protests nonviolent and to de-escalate any confrontations between protesters and others. -ABC News' Oren Oppenheim Jun 12, 2025, 3:16 PM EDT Noem calls for undocumented immigrants to self-deport or get arrested Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is calling for undocumented immigrants to self-deport. 'If you wait until we have to arrest you, you will never get to be an American, much less live here and work here and be able to pursue the American dream,' she threatened. Jun 12, 2025, 3:04 PM EDT DOJ leadership orders prosecutors to be on alert this weekend for potential violence Top leaders at the Justice Department issued a directive to prosecutors around the country to be prepared to file charges over the weekend in the event of violence or "obstruction" of police at protests planned in several major cities. The memo to all 93 U.S. Attorney's Offices, which was reviewed by ABC News, outlined several potentially relevant criminal statutes that prosecutors could consider applying to violent actors at protests. Associate Deputy Attorney General Aakash Singh said the federal government will have "zero tolerance" for acts of "rioting, looting, arson, destruction of property, assaults on officers ... and obstruction of federal immigration efforts." "Push out press releases whenever you file charges in these matters," the memo said. "We will not stop enforcing the law and we will not be deterred from keeping our districts safe."
Washington Post
8 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Tracking Trump: Courts let the National Guard stay in L.A.; Abrego García pleaded not guilty; Trump's birthday protests; and more
An appeals court allowed Trump to keep the National Guard in L.A. The Trump administration denied involvement in Israel's strikes on Iran. Kilmar Abrego García pleaded not guilty to human smuggling. A Smithsonian director resigned following Trump's attempt to fire her. A judge ordered Trump to reverse the firings of product safety regulators.
