Transgender athlete ban moves ahead at Missouri Capitol

(AP) — The GOP-led Missouri House on Wednesday voted to allow local elections over whether to ban transgender girls from competing on K-12 girls’ sports teams.

House members voted 89-40 in favor of adding Republican Rep. Chuck Bayse’s proposal as an amendment to an elections bill in a late-session attempt to pass the contested legislation before lawmakers’ mid-May deadline.

Under the amendment, Bayse said public school boards and administrators could call elections over whether to allow transgender girls to compete on all-girls sports teams.

Bayse said the goal of the measure is “to protect women’s sports.” He said transgender girls have an unfair advantage against other girls and parents should have a chance to weigh in on the policy.