Indiana Governor’s Stance on Transgender Politics Unpopular with Voters

On March 21, Indiana governor Eric Holcomb, a Republican, vetoed a ban on biological males in girls’ sports. Holcomb was the second red-state governor to veto such legislation, following South Dakota governor Kristi Noem’s controversial veto of a women’s sports bill in her state almost exactly one year prior. Just 24 hours later, Utah’s Spencer Cox became the third, vetoing a similar bill sent to his desk by the Republican state legislature.

The backlash to all three Republican vetoes signals a new appetite for aggressive action on the transgender issue in the GOP. In the face of harsh conservative criticism, Noem introduced new legislation aimed at restricting athletic participation based on biological sex, and the Utah state legislature moved to override Governor Cox’s veto by overwhelming margins just a few days after it was issued. Indiana GOP leaders have vowed to override Holcomb’s veto when they meet for a special session on May 24. Republican politicians representing the Hoosier State in Congress were quick to signal their support for that override. “These are just excuses on his part,” Congressman Jim Banks (R., Ind.) said of Holcomb’s supposed concerns about the likelihood of litigation. “Hoosiers aren’t buying it.”

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Nate Hochman

Nate Hochman was a staff writer at National Review.

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On March 21, Indiana governor Eric Holcomb, a Republican, vetoed a ban on biological males in girls’ sports. Holcomb was the second red-state governor to veto such legislation, following South Dakota governor Kristi Noem’s controversial veto of a women’s sports bill in her state almost exactly one year prior. Just 24 hours later, Utah’s Spencer Cox became the third, vetoing a similar bill sent to his desk by the Republican state legislature.

The backlash to all three Republican vetoes signals a new appetite for aggressive action on the transgender issue in the GOP. In the face of harsh conservative criticism, Noem introduced new legislation aimed at restricting athletic participation based on biological sex, and the Utah state legislature moved to override Governor Cox’s veto by overwhelming margins just a few days after it was issued. Indiana GOP leaders have vowed to override Holcomb’s veto when they meet for a special session on May 24. Republican politicians representing the Hoosier State in Congress were quick to signal their support for that override. “These are just excuses on his part,” Congressman Jim Banks (R., Ind.) said of Holcomb’s supposed concerns about the likelihood of litigation. “Hoosiers aren’t buying it.”