VICTORY

South Dakota Governor Vetoes Anti-Trans Bathroom Bill

Avoids becoming first state with such a ban.

South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard has vetoed a bill Tuesday afternoon that would have banned transgender students from using school bathrooms and locker rooms based on their gender identity. The controversial bill, HB 1008, was approved by the state house last week, and the Republican governor’s nixing of the law means his state will avoid becoming the first state to impose such a law on the transgender community. In his veto message, Daugaard lamented that the legislation, as written, “removes the ability of local school districts to determine the most appropriate accommodations for their individual students and replaces that flexibility with a state mandate.” He added: “Instead of encouraging local solutions, this bill broadly regulates in a manner that invites conflict and litigation, diverting energy and resources from the education of the children of this state.”