Wisconsin Legislature to end session with vote on transgender athlete ban, no action on elections

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature is poised to finish its two-year session Tuesday by passing a ban on high school transgender athletes competing on girls teams, but a bipartisan effort to allow for early processing of absentee ballots appears to be dead.

The bill requiring that high school athletes play on teams that match the gender they were assigned at birth almost certainly won’t become law. Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has already promised to veto it.

At least 20 states have approved a version of a blanket ban on transgender athletes playing on K-12 and collegiate sports teams statewide, but a Biden administration proposal to forbid such outright bans is set to be finalized this year after multiple delays and much pushback. As proposed, the rule would establish that blanket bans would violate Title IX, the landmark gender-equity legislation enacted in 1972.

The Senate was also expected to fire two of Evers’ appointees to the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents in a dispute over diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

The Senate’s final day comes after the Assembly wrapped up its two-year session last month. Any bills that don’t pass both chambers this year are dead and would have to be reintroduced once the new Legislature elected in November takes office in January.

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