Grand Canyon Times

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed SB1628, which would have restricted sex specific spaces like bathrooms and locker rooms to an individual’s biological gender. 

Every Democrat legislature in both the Arizona State Senate and House of Representatives voted against the bill, with Hobbs vetoing it after it was passed by a Republican majority, saying the bill "attacks Arizonans."

"Instead of helping these confused boys and men, Democrats are only fueling the disfunction by pretending biological sex doesn't matter," Senate President Warren Petersen said in a press release. "Our daughters, granddaughters, nieces, and neighbors are growing up in a dangerous time where they are living with an increased risk of being victimized in public bathrooms, showers, and locker rooms because Democrats are now welcoming biological males into what used to be traditionally safe, single-sex spaces."

"This commonsense bill would have also stopped the injustices of allowing bigger and stronger biological males to compete on female-only sports teams, preserving fairness and safety on the playing field, as well as the athletic accolades and scholarships these women and girls work tirelessly to achieve,"  bill sponsor Sine Kerr said. 

SB1628 did not propose changing any current laws or creating new restrictions on an individual’s legal rights. The bill defined “sex” as a person’s biological sex and clarified sex-specific terms like “woman,” “female,” and “mother,” to be referenced in all purposes and situations related to interpreting state law.