The Legislature took big steps this week with moving on budget bills. However, a big debate in the Michigan State House focused on the school aid budget and transgender athletes.
The House K-through-12 budget bill would sanction schools that allow transgender athletes to compete outside their sex assigned at birth. Democrats tried to strike that provision without success. State Representative Regina Weiss called the budget language “toxic and hateful.”
“It also holds school districts hostage by conditioning their state funding on the implementation of a discriminatory policy," Weiss said. "But, most importantly, this language is harmful to some of the most vulnerable children in our state. It is our duty to advocate for Michigan students, to recognize them and see them for who they are, to protect them, and not to use them as political fodder."
Republicans defended their language, saying it’s not fair to force girls to compete against boys.
“For generations, our society has fought for fairness in women’s sports with Title 9 and similar initiatives, we have made a lot of progress," Republican Representative Annette Glenn said. "But that progress is undermined if we allow boys to compete in girls’ sports.”
The Michigan High School Athletic Association says this is not commonly an issue and would prefer the state stay out of it. The association has a policy that addresses transgender athletes on a case-by-case basis.
The budget bill now goes to the state Senate. The final version of the schools budget will also have to be negotiated with Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who supports transgender rights.
