IN Legislature overrides governor's veto, enacts protections for female athletes

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Christiana Kiefer regarding the Indiana Legislature’s override Tuesday of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s veto of HB 1041, a bill that protects athletic opportunities for the state’s female athletes below the collegiate level:

“Women and girls deserve to compete on a level playing field. We are grateful to the Indiana Legislature for responding to the nationwide threat to fairness in women’s sports by overriding Gov. Holcomb’s misguided veto of HB 1041. While more work must be done to protect Indiana’s female athletes in college, overriding this veto is an important step towards ensuring fairness in women’s sports. Indiana now joins a growing coalition of states that have acted to preserve fair competition for female athletes, ensuring Indiana’s girls will not face the losses that come with allowing males to compete in women’s sports. We commend the Indiana legislators who took a stand for female athletes by overriding this veto, and we are hopeful they will act quickly to extend these protections to collegiate athletes, especially since the NCAA has failed in its duty to preserve fair and equal opportunity for women.”

• Pronunciation guide: Kiefer (KEE’-fur)

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.

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