The Georgia Senate passed SB1, or the Fair and Safe Athletic Opportunities Act, on Thursday.
The bill will look to prevent K-12 and college students from competing in sports designated for the opposite sex at publicly funded institutions.
On largely partisan lines, the bill passed 35-17 with support from two Democrats.
“SB1 was necessary in today's climate and culture to protect girl’s sports,” Republican State Senator for District 50 Bo Hatchett said.
The bill’s critics say that the legislation was unnecessary, citing the minuscule amount of transgender youth in the state and other pressing issues.
“These are not the issues facing most Georgians,” Democratic State Senator for District 38 Rashaun Kemp said. “Georgia is last in the southeast as it relates to home ownership. We have a high maternal mortality rate.”
Kemp said he and Democratic State Senator for District 41 Kim Jackson presented to the senate floor the number of transgender students in the state.
“There is only less than 1-percent of students in this state who identify as trans.” Kemp said. “That exact number is 0.6-percent of students in the state.”
Hatchett said that if it is not an issue, there should not be such fierce opposition.
“If it's not an issue, then I'm surprised by the opposition to it to begin with,” Hatchett said. “When a biological male steps in and takes a medal away or knocks them off a podium, prevents someone from becoming an All-American because he took their spot, that's enough right there For me to justify the passage of this bill.”
Hatchett cited Lia Thomas, a swimmer for the University of Pennsylvania who made headlines in 2022 after becoming the first transgender Division 1 national champion in the 500 freestyle. The championships were at Georgia Tech’s McAuley Aquatic Center.
Kemp noted that the Republican Party in the State Senate needs to focus on issues that bring Georgians together.
“I feel like the Republican Party is still playing to a party of one with this Senate Bill 1, and that is Donald Trump who they just elected as President,” Kemp said. “That speaks volumes as to what they are focused on when we should be focusing on … making people whole as it relates to Hurricane Helene, or making sure that our kids can read.”
President Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday with a similar nature of SB1 in Georgia titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.”
“Therefore, it is the policy of the United States to rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities,” the order reads.
SB1 passing also came on the same day the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced it would restrict their women’s category to student-athletes assigned female at birth.
There is a similar bill in the Georgia House of Representatives titled the Riley Gaines Act, although its status with the Senate pushing their bill for House approval is unknown.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2025/2/1285278/state-senators-react-to-bill-advancing-that-prevents-transgender-women-from-competing-in-womens-sports