COLUMBUS – A debate in the Statehouse on a bill to allow college athletes in Ohio to profit off their name, image and likeness dissolved into rancorous chaos Thursday night as Republican members of the House of Representatives tried to insert an amendment banning transgender girls and women from joining female teams in at the high school or college level.
Democrats in the chamber banged on their desks and cried “unfair” as Rep. Jena Powell (R-Laura) introduced a House-passed measure into the bill as an amendment.
The House eventually approved the bill, which gives college athletes in the state the right to earn money through endorsements and sponsorship deals, but with the transgender ban no longer a part of it.
Sen. Niraj Antani (R-Miamisburg) announced the NIL legislation last month at OSU and the Senate passed the bill last week.
It was finally inserted into a House-passed bill and approved. The House was expected to vote on accepting the changes Friday but did not act on it.
The measure prevents universities or college athletic conferences from punishing athletes if they are compensated based on their sports performance.
Republican Gov. Mike DeWine on Friday questioned the need for a legislative ban on transgender girls competing in sports.
“This issue is best addressed outside of government, through individual sports leagues and athletic associations, including the Ohio High School Athletic Association, who can tailor policies to meet the needs of their member athletes and member institutions,” DeWine said in a statement from his office.
The bills’ sponsors say it is an effort to maintain fairness and protect the integrity in women’s sports in Ohio but OHSAA, the association governing Ohio school sports, says there are no examples of transgender girls causing issues in competition.