"This is such the right thing to do to protect all of our students. It's a privacy bill, it's a modesty bill, it's sensible South Dakota common sense."UPDATE 3/1/16: South Dakota Governor Vetoes Bill, Won't Buck Obama Edict (see excerpts below)
-- Dale Bartscher, Family Heritage Alliance Action
For background, read President Obama Forces Wildest Transgender Agenda on School Children Using Full Force of Federal Government and now Hillary Clinton Promises Even MORE 'Transgender/Gay Rights'
Also read President Obama's Enforcer Follows Man into Ladies' Room
And read Virginia Bathroom Privacy Bill Defeated
Click headlines below to read previous articles:
Kindergartners Taught Transgenderism in St. Paul
Missouri Residents Protest Transgender/Gay Boy in Girls Locker Room
Parents' Lawyer Halts Wisconsin School Transgender Sneak Attack
Gender Redefined by NY City Law; Biology Be Damned
Also read how the Gay/Transgender Agenda is attacking America one town and one state at a time, but an attack was stopped cold by Houston voters.
-- From "S. Dakota is first state to pass bill restricting transgender students’ bathroom use" by Sandhya Somashekhar, Washington Post 2/16/16
The bill has provoked outrage from gay and transgender rights activists, who say it discriminates against transgender children. They say that it could put schools at risk of lawsuits; in 2014, the Education Department issued guidance finding that Title IX, the federal law that requires equal treatment of the sexes in schools, requires that students be permitted to use facilities that match their gender identity.
But the bill’s proponents have argued that the legislation actually matches up better with the original language of Title IX, which requires separate facilities for the sexes. They say it respects privacy while also meeting the needs of transgender students by requiring that schools allow them to use private facilities, such as a teacher’s or nurse’s bathroom.
The bill, which passed the state Senate 20 to 15, is just one example of how the debate over gay and transgender rights has shifted since same-sex couples won the right to marry, state by state at first and then nationally when the Supreme Court ruled that marriage was a constitutional right for gay couples.
Dozens of school districts have grappled with this issue, but South Dakota would be the first to make it a matter of state law. About a dozen states are considering similar legislation, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "S.D. passes transgender student bathroom ban bill" by CBS News & The Associated Press 2/17/16
Under the plan, schools would have to provide a "reasonable accommodation" for transgender students, such as a single-occupancy bathroom or the "controlled use" of a staff-designated restroom, locker room or shower room.
Republican Sen. David Omdahl urged other legislators Tuesday to support the bill to "preserve the innocence of our young people."
Supporters say South Dakota's plan is a response to changes in the Obama administration's interpretation of the federal Title IX anti-discrimination law related to education. Federal officials have said that barring students from restrooms that match their gender identity is prohibited under [their new, progressive interpretation of] Title IX.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Transgender bathroom bill awaits Daugaard's signature" by Dana Ferguson, Argus Leader (Sioux Falls, SD) USA Today Network 2/16/16
The South Dakota Senate approved the bill Tuesday on a 20-15 vote, moving it to Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard's desk for his approval. Daugaard has said the measure seems like a good idea and plans to research the issue and listen to recorded testimony before making up his mind on whether to make the bill law.
The vote sparked outrage from Democrats and LGBT families and advocates Tuesday afternoon who said the measure is discriminatory, while conservatives marked its passage as a success in maintaining the privacy of South Dakota students.
Rep. Fred Deutsch, R-Florence, the bill's author, has said the measure is designed to ensure the privacy of transgender and non-transgender students in the most private areas in schools. He said the federal government has overstepped its authority in drafting Title IX regulations that require school districts to accommodate transgender students and they should receive "reasonable accommodations."
The state's House of Representatives approved the measure on a 58-10 vote last month.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "South Dakota Is The First State To Pass A Transphobic Student Bathroom Bill" by Lydia O'Connor, General Assignment Reporter, The Huffington Post 2/16/16
The bill provides that with written parental permission, affected students may request a "reasonable accommodation ... that does not impose an undue hardship on a school district," such as use of a single-occupancy restroom.
The Transgender Law Center lambasted the bill's passage as "distressing and disturbing" and said it believes the legislation violates federal law.
"Every single child, including transgender youth, should have the opportunity to succeed and be treated fairly by our schools and elected officials," the center's executive director Kris Hayashi told The Huffington Post in a statement. If the governor signs the measure, Hayashi said, it will "endanger students and open up South Dakota schools to legal chaos, liability, and the loss of millions in federal funds."
Democrats, arguing against the bill in the Senate on Tuesday, also raised concerns that the measure may trigger the federal government to pull money from public schools, BuzzFeed News noted. Controversy also may prompt a tourism boycott, the Democrats warned.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Senate: Transgender students must use facilities determined by their sex at birth" by Bob Mercer, Correspondent, Rapid City Journal 2/16/16
Sen. David Omdahl, R-Sioux Falls, said the bill protects transgender individuals by providing separate facilities. He said it would preserve “the innocence of young people.”
[Sen. Bernie Hunhoff, D-Yankton] said he doesn’t know why South Dakota was chosen to be a test state, and he resents it.
[Sen. Brock Greenfield, R-Clark] said the state attorney general will defend the state law but won’t defend individual school districts. He said two [religious liberty rights] groups have volunteered to defend school districts.
Sen. Scott Parsley, D-Madison, asked Greenfield if the groups would pay for any legal settlement.
“I don’t want to get off on some rabbit trails,” Greenfield replied. He added that the groups would be responsible for legal costs.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
UPDATE 3/1/16: From "South Dakota Governor Vetoes Restriction on Transgender Bathroom Access" by Mitch Smith, New York Times
Gov. Dennis Daugaard put out a statement late in the day saying that the bill did “not address any pressing issue” facing the state, and that it would have put schools in the “difficult position of following state law while knowing it openly invites federal litigation.”
The measure was pushed by conservative legislators who said it was an effort to protect the privacy of all students. But it appeared to conflict with the Obama administration’s interpretation of federal civil rights law and seemed likely to be headed for a court challenge.
“If and when these rare situations arise, I believe local school officials are best positioned to address them,” Mr. Daugaard wrote in a letter to lawmakers announcing his decision. “Instead of encouraging local solutions, this bill broadly regulates in a manner that invites conflict and litigation, diverting energy and resources from the education of the children of this state.” State Representative Fred Deutsch, the Republican who introduced the South Dakota bill, said he would not seek an override. Mr. Deutsch has said he believed that the federal Education Department had overstepped in its interpretation of Title IX, which bans sex discrimination in federally funded education programs, and that students’ biological sex should determine which restroom they use. Mr. Deutsch said he had spoken with Mr. Daugaard shortly before the veto statement was released.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Transgenderism is a 'Delusion' According to Victims and Professionals
And read 52-year-old Man is Adopted as 6-year-old Girl
