Gov. Kim Reynolds asked lawmakers for a trans athlete ban. The Iowa Legislature adjourned without one.
The Iowa Legislature adjourned its 2021 session late Wednesday without approving limits on transgender girls and women's ability to compete in girls and women's athletics, despite Gov. Kim Reynolds' push for such legislation this year.
Reynolds, a Republican, said during an April 29 Fox News town hall that "we're working on legislation" about the issue and that she hoped to have it on her desk by the end of the session.
"I'm going to do what's right for girls," she said during the town hall.
Although Iowa House leadership had acknowledged the potential for a bill remained alive as the Legislature's Republican leaders entered the final negotiations of the session, but no bill emerged ahead of the session's adjournment.
“I’ve told you several times that we’ve been working on it," House Speaker Pat Grassley's said shortly after the adjournment. "We just had a lot of other things on our agenda and our plate to wrap up the end of session and I don’t think we ever got to a point where everyone was comfortable with what that would look like right now
A spokesperson for Reynolds declined to comment after the Legislature adjourned shortly before midnight.
Iowa LGBTQ advocacy groups said the effort would have been discriminatory and that using any last-second maneuvers to pass it would prevent those affected from providing input. Transgender Iowans and allies said even the discussion Reynolds ignited was hurtful, even if nothing passed.
'TRANS GIRLS ARE GIRLS':Transgender Iowans, allies speak against proposed sports ban
Iowa Safe Schools executive director Becky Ritland said in a statement Wednesday night she was glad the Legislature didn't act.
"We're glad to see that the Iowa Legislature saw through this utterly transparent attack on transgender children," she said. "This legislation would've wreaked havoc on Iowa's economy while also segregating innocent youth, all in the name of an issue that has never occurred in the state of Iowa."
One Iowa executive director Courtney Reyes said she saw other victories, as well.
"We saw a historic number of anti-LGBTQ bills, and we know that their introduction has a significant impact even if they failed to advance," Reyes said. "But despite all these challenges and missteps, none of the legislation directly targeting LGBTQ people passed, and that deserves commendation."
Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.
Ian Richardson covers the Iowa Statehouse for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at irichardson@registermedia.com, at 515-284-8254, or on Twitter at @DMRIanR.