South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem's changes to sports transgender bill rejected by state lawmakers

The South Dakota legislature voted 67-2 on the GOP's revisions on their sports transgender bill.
Gov. Kristi Noem speaking in Georgia
By Nicholas Sherman

South Dakota GOP Gov. Kristi Noem has suffered another setback in her effort to sign a measure to keep transgender athletes from competing in women's sports and  satisfy her conservative base.

Noem, a popular Republican governor and potential 2024 presidential candidate, earlier this month reject a bill by the state legislature that would prevent transgender athletes from competing in women sporting events in the state.

She argued the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA, would oppose the measure, which she vetoed and rewrote to cover only sports at the high-school level and below.

On Monday, the state legislature rejected her "style and form" veto changes in a 67-2 vote, according to Fox News.

"The proposed revisions will also remedy the vague language regarding civil liability and the use of performance-enhancing drugs," Noem said.

State GOP Rep. Fred Deutsch called the governor's veto changes "unconstitutional" and said the original bill now returns to Noem to either sign into law or veto again.

South Dakota's transgender sports bill HB 1217 is one of several similar bills in state legislatures including one recently passed in Tennessee, according to NPR.