Restrictive transgender sports bill heads to Iowa governor

By DAVID PITT
Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Senate Republicans have approved a bill that prohibits transgender females from participating in girls high school sports and women’s college athletics, sending a divisive bill likely to draw legal challenges to the governor. Gov. Kim Reynolds last year lobbied lawmakers to pass a similar measure but it failed to advance. It passed the House last week and the Senate on Wednesday with only Republican votes. Reynolds supports the idea. Iowa will join 10 other Republican-run state legislatures in passing the controversial measure if she signs it. Opponents say the measure is state-sanctioned bullying of transgender children while supporters say it’s the only way to protect women and girls from being dominated in sports competition by males who identify as females.