JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri Governor Mike Parson says he will call a special session if the General Assembly does not pass legislation restricting transgender athletes from playing on the team that matches the sex on their birth certificate and banning gender-affirming care for minors.
The Associated Press reports that transgender girls and women could no longer play on girls and women’s sports teams under a bill advancing in the Missouri Legislature. The Republican-led House on Monday voted 104-46 to send the bill to the GOP-led Senate, which has already passed a similar ban.
The legislation would apply to student athletes at both public and private schools beginning in grade 6 through college. Missouri’s current public high school sports rules already prohibit transgender girls from competing on girls teams unless they have undergone at least a year of hormone therapy and continue taking medication to maintain their hormone levels.
After nearly 12 hours of debate, the Missouri Senate passed a $50 billion budget early Wednesday morning. There are still several more bills up for debate before the session ends in May.