Today, after calling themselves into an emergency special session, all but four Republicans in the state legislature voted to override the Governor’s veto on HB 11, which would ban all transgender girls in Utah from participating in school sports. This bill, which was rammed through in the waning hours of the legislative session, has since been decried by Utahns of all political affiliations, as well as the state’s business community for its cruel, irresponsible, and drastic measures.
“Utah Democrats stand with transgender Utahns against these hateful attacks. Let’s be honest: the Republican supermajority wasted thousands of taxpayer dollars by calling themselves into an emergency special session so they could override the Governor’s veto for one reason: to protect themselves against political attacks from extremists in their own party,” said Utah Democratic Party Chair Diane Lewis.
“It’s no coincidence that they held their veto override session the day before the first GOP county conventions will take place. The fact that they would put their own re-election bids ahead of thoughtful, measured policy on such a delicate issue just goes to show that the Republican supermajority values politics over people, plain and simple.”
Republicans’ actions today prove that their party is more concerned with divisive and counterproductive culture-war messaging than with actually addressing the issues facing our state. They are willing to go out of their way to implement a policy that will target a handful of already marginalized children in our state, a policy which they EXPECT to be overturned in the courts, just to appease extremists in their party. It is shameful and self-serving, and Utah Democrats stand together in condemning it.
The Utah Democratic Party is the face and voice of Democrats in the State of Utah. We believe that Utahns deserve strong, competent leadership that puts the people and democracy first.
Original source can be found here.
