KANSAS CITY, MO By ERIC OLSON AP Sports Writer – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics announced a policy Monday that all but bans transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports at its 241 mostly small colleges across the country.
The NAIA Council of Presidents approved the policy in a 20-0 vote at its annual convention in Kansas City, Missouri. The NAIA, which oversees some 83,000 athletes competing in more than 25 sports, is believed to be the first college sports organization to take such a step.
According to the transgender participation policy, which goes into effect in August, all athletes may participate in NAIA-sponsored male sports but only athletes whose biological sex assigned at birth is female and have not begun hormone therapy will be allowed to participate in women’s sports.
A student who has begun hormone therapy may participate in activities such as workouts, practices and team activities, but not in intercollegiate competition.
NAIA programs in competitive cheer and competitive dance are open to all students. The NAIA policy notes every other sport “includes some combination of strength, speed and stamina, providing competitive advantages for male student-athletes.”
NAIA President and CEO Jim Carr said in an interview with The Associated Press he understands the policy will generate controversy but that it was deemed best for member schools for competitive reasons.
“We know there are a lot of opinions, and a lot of people have a very emotional reaction to this, and we want to be respectful of all that,” Carr said. “But we feel like our primary responsibility is fairness in competition, so we are following that path. And we’ve tried as best we could to allow for some participation by all.”
The NAIA’s 2023-24 policy did not bar transgender and nonbinary athletes from competing in the division of their choice in the regular season. In the postseason, and with some exceptions for those who have had hormone therapy, athletes had to compete in the division of their birth sex.
There is no known number of transgender athletes at the high school and college levels, though it is believed to be small. The topic has become a hot-button issue among conservative groups and others who believe transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete on girls’ and women’s sports teams.
Shiwali Patel, senior counsel at the National Women’s Law Center, said her organization was outraged by the NAIA policy.
“This is unacceptable and blatant discrimination that not only harms trans, nonbinary and intersex individuals, but limits the potential of all athletes,” Patel said in a statement. “It’s important to recognize that these discriminatory policies don’t enhance fairness in competition. Instead, they send a message of exclusion and reinforce dangerous stereotypes that harm all women.”
Last month, more than a dozen current and former college athletes filed a federal lawsuit against the NCAA, accusing the sports governing body for more than 500,000 athletes of violating their rights by allowing transgender women to compete in women’s sports.
Hours after the NAIA announcement, the NCAA released a statement: “College sports are the premier stage for women’s sports in America and the NCAA will continue to promote Title IX, make unprecedented investments in women’s sports and ensure fair competition for all student-athletes in all NCAA championships.”
At least 24 states have laws barring transgender women and girls from competing in certain women’s or girls sports competitions.
The Biden administration originally planned to release a new federal Title IX rule — the law forbids discrimination based on sex in education — addressing both campus sexual assault and transgender athletes. Earlier this year, the department decided to split them into separate rules, and the athletics rule now remains in limbo.
“It’s similar to the NIL stuff with all these different state laws,” said Kasey Havekost, a former Division I athlete who is now a higher education attorney at Bricker Graydon. “The NCAA kind of does something but nothing really happens, and they look to the federal government, and the federal government is slow to put something in place and then we’re left with all these different state laws.”
Havekost expects lawsuits will follow and challenge the NAIA policy on the basis of Title IX laws.
“I feel like at some point, it will have to be addressed,” she said. “It’s a really complex issue. It might take a Supreme Court ruling.”
About 190 of the 241 NAIA schools are private, and about 125 of those have religious affiliations of varying degrees, Carr said. Of the 20 presidents who voted, 17 are from schools affiliated with Christian denominations.
“People have certain views of the world, and even though I believe all our Council of Presidents members are trying to think what’s best for the NAIA, they certainly come to these kinds of issues with their own beliefs and the missions of their institutions in mind,” Carr said. “I would think that had some impact.”
Patel said the NAIA ban, along with the state laws, “emphasizes the urgency in having clear Title IX rules that expressly prohibit this type of sex-based discrimination, and ensure the rights of all students, including transgender, nonbinary, and intersex athletes, are safeguarded. Trans athletes deserve a chance to play.”
The NCAA has had a policy for transgender athlete participation in place since 2010, which called for one year of testosterone suppression treatment and documented testosterone levels submitted before championship competitions. In 2022, the NCAA revised its policies on transgender athlete participation in an attempt to align with national sport governing bodies, following the lead of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
The three-phase implementation of the policy included a continuation of the 2010 policy, requiring transgender women to be on hormone replacement therapy for at least one year, plus the submission of a hormone-level test before the start of both the regular season and championship events.
The third phase adds national and international sport governing body standards to the NCAA’s policy and — after a delay — is scheduled to be implemented for the 2024-25 school year on Aug. 1.
There are some 15.3 million public high school students in the United States and a 2019 study by the CDC estimated 1.8% of them — about 275,000 — are transgender. The number of athletes within that group is much smaller; a 2017 survey by Human Rights Campaign suggested fewer than 15% of all transgender boys and transgender girls play sports.
The number of NAIA transgender athletes would be far smaller.
DES MOINES, IA – Iowa is accepting bids from people who want an EV charging station on their land. It’s part of a nationwide network of infrastructure designed to meet the needs of electric vehicle owners.
The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program, or NEVI, will provide funding to build charging stations every 50 miles along U.S. interstate highways – from coast to coast.
In Iowa, that includes I-80, 380, 29 and 35.
The Iowa Environmental Council’s Energy Policy Counsel Steve Geyer said businesses, electric utilities, nonprofits, towns – and even private landowners, such as farmers – can apply, as long as their land is within a mile of the freeway and meets other criteria.
“Suppose you are that farmer and you are at one of those locations,” said Geyer. “Sure. If you have the availability to raise the capital, that’s one of the criteria. You have to be able to demonstrate that you either have ownership of the land or you have the rights to the land.”
The deadline to apply for the grants is April 19.
Each location will have four rapid-charging ports, but Geyer said they won’t just be bare-bones places to power up the EV.
“Every location has to have some form of not only restroom facilities,” said Geyer, “but also – be it a convenience store or vending machines, et cetera – recognizing that it will take some time to charge your car so you need, presumably, something to do during that time.”
Applications go through the Iowa Department of Transportation.
LINCOLN, NE – As Nebraska’s 2024 legislative session draws to a close, family caregivers and their supporters are closely watching the progress of Legislative Bill 937, the Caregiver Tax Credit Act.
The bill provides eligible family caregivers up to $2,000 in tax credits for out-of-pocket expenses or up to $3,000 if the family member receiving care has dementia or is a veteran.
Jina Ragland, state director of advocacy and outreach for AARP Nebraska, said family caregivers are filling health care gaps in the state, especially with 15 Nebraska counties currently lacking a nursing home or assisted-living facility. Ragland argued the state’s family caregivers need and deserve financial support.
“We really feel they’re the backbone of the U.S. care system,” Ragland emphasized. “Especially here in Nebraska because they’re helping parents, they’re helping loved ones live independently in their homes.”
Family caregivers in the U.S. spend an average of $7,000 per year in out-of-pocket expenses. Employed caregivers sometimes lose wages when they have to take time off for caregiving responsibilities. Others retire early, losing both wages and retirement income.
The bill includes an income limit of $50,000 for individuals and $100,000 for married couples. Sen. Eliot Bostar, D-Lincoln, introduced the bill on behalf of AARP Nebraska. The legislature is expected to debate the measure for the second time this week.
Joyce Beck of Grand Island knows firsthand the emotional and financial strain of being a caregiver and losing a loved one. She retired early to care for her husband, who suffered from multiple sclerosis and cancer. In addition to significant out-of-pocket expenses, her Social Security and pension payments are both lower because she retired early.
Beck said she knows some Nebraskans face bigger financial struggles as a result of their caregiving.
“If there’s any financial support that we can give, that would be so beneficial,” Beck contended. “Some people don’t have the option of a retirement account or a pension plan, so $2,000 would be huge for them. ”
Ragland stressed family caregivers are helping Nebraska taxpayers as well. When their caregiving delays or prevents expensive-nursing home placement, it contributes to lowering the state’s Medicaid costs.
“An important concept for people to understand is the value of those people who are just doing what they think is right,” Ragland asserted. “The time and the money and the energy that they’re providing as family caregivers to offset, again, the gaps in the care services that we have in our communities.”
Six states currently offer a caregiver tax credit, and there is a bipartisan bill in the U.S. Congress to enact one at the federal level.
BISMARCK, N.D. – North Dakota high schools are in spring sports mode and there is lingering tension from winter sporting events, where Native American players endured racist taunts from non-Native fans, and one lawmaker wants more follow-through with the response.
Several incidents of players being subject to discriminatory behavior from the stands have prompted apologies from districts of opposing schools. The state High School Activities Association has responded, including by implementing a zero-tolerance policy.
Rep. Lisa Finley-DeVille, D-Mandaree, who represents the Fort Berthold Reservation, said the rules are not being widely enforced.
“The laws are there, they created them. It’s about enforcing them,” Finley-DeVille emphasized.
The Association also created a special committee to handle these matters, and Finley-DeVille noted she plans to engage with the panel over the summer. She hopes the input will lead to a better environment during games next year. The federal government already has its own civil rights investigation underway, stemming from an incident involving the Jamestown district last year.
Finley-DeVille appealed to the Department of Education Civil Rights Division last month with her own complaint. Meanwhile, she encouraged North Dakota to allow for Tribal Flag Songs to be performed before sporting events, just like the national anthem. She suggested it could help create more awareness among non-Native fans.
“The more education they (receive) about things, the better understanding they will have of Native Americans,” Finley-DeVille pointed out.
DeVille acknowledged South Dakota already allows the practice. She added the department is evaluating whether her complaint against the Activities Association will lead to a separate probe. The Association did not respond to a request for comment.
