This past Monday the South Dakota House Judiciary Committee voted 11-1 to defer H. B. 1296 to make it go away for the legislative session. The bill would have required all public schools to write and publicize policies regarding use of restrooms by transgender students.
We have discussed and discussed and discussed this. Every time this bill is introduced it targets a vulnerable population, and I regret that very much.
--Susan Wismer (D- Britton)
Two years ago, the South Dakota legislature approved a bill requiring restroom usage in schools to be restricted by sex assigned at birth, but it was vetoed by Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard.
Proponents told members of the committee the bill was needed to ensure schools don't advance a political agenda of encouraging students to question their gender. They said policies should be required and made public so that those who use school restrooms know what to expect and what their rights are when they enter.
Can we have the schools step up to the plate and have a policy so that we can actually discuss policy? What we have now is they hide behind not having a policy, or they say they have a policy but they won't tell you what it is.
--Florence Thompson, South Dakota Citizens for Liberty
I'm thinking "liberty" must have a different meaning in Pierre, SD.
Opponents representing school groups, social workers and civil liberties advocates said the legislation was unneeded and would unfairly target transgender students.
Bills like this try to fix a problem that doesn't exist. Schools make it work. We've asked repeatedly to allow school boards and local schools to handle these issues, so let's let them handle it.
--Wade Pogany, executive director of Associated School Boards of South Dakota
SB 160 was similarly deferred...today.That bill would restrict teachers from even mentioning gender identity:
No instruction in gender identity or gender expression may be provided to any student in kindergarten through grade seven in any public school in the state.