The South Dakota House of
Representatives on Thursday failed to override Republican Governor
Dennis Daugaard's veto of a bill that targets transgender youth.
House Bill 1008 sought to prohibit
students in public schools from using the bathroom that does not
conform to their gender at birth.
Daugaard said that he vetoed the bill
because it would create “a certain liability for school districts
and the state in an area where no such liability exists today.”
(Related: South
Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard vetoes transgender bill.)
The effort to override Daugaard's veto
came in 11 votes shy of the required two-thirds majority needed to
succeed.
Chad Griffin, president of the Human
Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest LGBT rights advocate,
called the development encouraging.
“The failure by opponents of equality
to override Gov. Daugaard’s veto of HB 1008 is certainly
encouraging news,” said Griffin. “Fairness and equality have
prevailed over this unconscionable legislative assault on transgender
children. However, the Senate must now also reject another outrageous
proposal under consideration that would ban transgender students from
participating in athletic activities consistent with their gender
identity. Transgender youth need the support of their state’s
leaders, not vicious and hateful attacks.”