ATLANTA – On Tuesday, one of the most influential Georgia lawmakers will lay out his plan to further restrict transgender athletes from playing in women’s sports.

House Speaker John Burns will announce his legislation at the Georgia State Capitol. 

This comes after a pair of competing bills have already been introduced in the Georgia Senate. 

MORE: LGBTQ+ advocates rally at Georgia Capitol as transgender athlete ban reintroduced

Push to ban transgender athletes from women’s sports in Georgia

The backstory:

At least 25 mostly Republican states have passed laws to restrict transgender women from participating in college and high school sports, according to the Movement Advancement Project, a gay rights group.

In 2022, lawmakers approved a law allowing the Georgia High School Association to regulate transgender women’s participation in sports. The association, mostly made up of public high schools, then banned participation by transgender women in sports events it sponsors.

Since then, many conservative leaders have pushed for further action requiring athletes to participate in teams that align with their biological sex at birth.

Last week, Senate Bill 1, which was introduced by Republican Sen. Greg Dolezal of Cumming, passed out of the committee. The bill would ban transgender girls and women from competing in female sports at any publicly funded institution, including K-12 schools and state universities.

What they’re saying:

Dolezal said the bill ensures a fair playing field for athletes.

“This summer, I had the privilege of serving as Chairman of the Georgia Senate Special Committee on the Protection of Women’s Sports,” Dolezal said in a statement when introducing the bill. “As the father of three daughters, I take this issue to heart. Female athletes have worked tirelessly to earn their place in competition, and they deserve a level playing field. Ideologically driven policies that undermine the fairness in women’s sports have no place in Georgia. Our committee dedicated countless hours to thoroughly studying this issue, and I’m proud to say the Majority Caucuses in both the Senate and House stand firmly united in protecting these opportunities for women and girls. I am confident this legislation will move swiftly through the General Assembly and deliver the protection female athletes deserve.”

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who has been outspoken about the issue, announced his approval of the bill. 

“Biological men do not belong in women’s sports, period,” said Lt. Governor Burt Jones. “This is common sense to everyone but the most radical liberals in Georgia. The Senate has always led the way on protecting women’s sports and with Senate Bill 1, we will continue to be on the right side of this common-sense issue. I will never waver in the fight to protect our sisters and our daughters participating on equal footing in Georgia sports. I look forward to Senate Bill 1 becoming law and the protection of women’s sports becoming a reality for all female athletes in Georgia.”

The other side:

Democratic Sen. Kim Jackson called SB1 a smoke screen that covered up the real issue hindering girls’ sports – a lack of resources.

“Our trans girls are the farthest from the problem,” she said.

SB 41 would require that girls’ and boys’ sports teams receive “comparable and equivalent funds”, equipment, facility access, supplies, and coaching compensation. 

“If we want to have a real conversation about true ‘fairness’ and ‘safety’ in girls’ sports, let’s talk about how girls’ teams are made to practice late at night or early in the morning when it’s still dark outside. Let’s talk about how girls’ soccer coaches, who work twice as long (averaging 20 games a season), make one-third the pay of the football coaches (averaging 10 games a season). Or how some girls’ sports teams are assigned teacher supervisors with no coaching experience because the pay inequity is so steep that the qualified coaches won’t take the job,” Jackson said.

What’s next:

House Speaker John Burns will announce his legislation at a press conference at 1 p.m. on Tuesday.

Senate Bill 1 will be considered in comparison to the legislation that Burns proposes.

Senate Bill 41 remains pending the Senate Education and Youth Committee.