Petition Womens Sports

On the day that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the right of states to ban transgender girls and women from participating on female sports teams, supporters of an initiative to enshrine that protection in the Nebraska Constitution turned in their petition signatures.

Fairness for Girls turned in 211,000 signatures to the Secretary of State’s office Tuesday, what supporters say is the most signatures received for a ballot initiative in Nebraska.

Sponsor and former state senator Julie Slama said Nebraskans sent a clear message that girls deserve equal opportunities in their sports, and men competing in girls sports steal their opportunities for scholarships, medals and advancement in tournaments.

To make the November ballot, a Constitutional Amendment initiative must have valid signatures from at least 10 percent of registered voters, as of the filing deadline, which is approximately 125,700.

Also needed are valid signatures from five percent of registered voters in 38 of the state’s 93 counties, and supporters say they collected signatures in every Nebraska county.

The nation’s high court upheld state bans on the topic in a 6-3 opinion, which was hailed by Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen.