North Dakota Senate Lawmakers Recommend State Study House Bill 1298

Today, Senate lawmakers voted to pass an amended version of House Bill 1298 that would study the economic impact the legislation would have on North Dakota.

The ACLU of North Dakota opposed House Bill 1298 in its original form. It attempts to solve a problem that does not exist and violates the United States Constitution and Title IX of the Civil Rights Act, which protects all students – including those who are transgender – from discrimination based on sex.

“Nobody wins when politicians start meddling in people’s lives like this – least of all the North Dakota economy,” said Libby Skarin, ACLU of North Dakota campaigns manager. “We’re happy Senate lawmakers didn’t advance this discriminatory bill as is. We’re confident that a study on the effects of enacting a ban on letting transgender students compete on teams that match their gender identity won’t be favorable to North Dakota.”

Because of discriminatory legislation like House Bill 1298, issues that matter most to North Dakotans are being ignored as some legislators continue to attack the LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit community and erode their rights with bills that stoke fear and hatred amid discriminatory rhetoric.

“With serious issues like our state’s COVID-19 response and economic recovery, it’s disturbing that legislators are spending so much time attacking vulnerable transgender youth,” Skarin said. “Our commitment to ensuring that transgender North Dakotans can live openly without discrimination remains strong. We urge North Dakota lawmakers to focus on the issues that really matter.”