GOP governor vetoes transgender bathroom bill

Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard

Republican South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard sent shockwaves through conservative camps with his veto of a bill that would have clamped the ability of transgender students attending public schools to choose which bathroom they want to use and instead required them to go with the one that corresponds to their gender at birth.

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Daugaard said it was a matter of local government control for him.

In a letter to Speaker Dean Wink, he wrote: "I respectfully return to you House Bill 1008, with my VETO. ... This bill seeks to impose statewide standards on 'every restroom, locker room, and shower room located in a public elementary or secondary school.' It removed the ability of local school districts to determine the most appropriate accommodations for their individual students and replaces that flexibility with a state mandate. If and when these rare situations arise, I believe local school officials are best positioned to address them."

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Daugaard issued the veto just hours before deadline; had he done nothing, the bill would have automatically taken effect.

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The measure had raised the ire of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Human Rights Campaign, both of which had pressed Daugaard for the veto.

The Senate passed it 20-15 a month ago, sending it to the governor's desk for signature. Had Daugaard not issued a veto, the measure would have impacted 1,360 students in the state who identify as transgender, NPR reported.