Leigh Finke (D-St. Paul)
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Republicans’ attempt to pass a girls’ only sports bill met intense debate on the Minnesota House floor, and eventually failed.
Rep. Leigh Finke of St. Paul and other Democrats spoke out against keeping transgender athletes from participating in girls’ sports.
“We haven’t heard a single piece of testimony in committee or on the floor of an actual problem being caused by trans girls in sports,” Finke said.
The bill’s author, Republican Peggy Scott of Andover, called for passage to protect girls’ opportunities to compete fairly.
“You’re protecting their safety and opportunities, for scholarships to play at a higher level not to have that opportunity yanked from them by a bigger, stronger, faster male,” Scott said.
The vote was along party lines, and Republicans came up one vote short.
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