California law aims to study access to sports, including transgender youth

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00:00The Youth Sports for All Act, a bill signed into law by California Governor Gavin Newsom,

00:05has a stated aim of creating equity in the state's youth sports systems.

00:10But it has some questioning whether it's a way to eventually allow transgender athletes to compete in women's sports.

00:19Assembly Bill 749 requires a commission to explore whether a new state office should be created to regulate youth sports,

00:27including improving access for kids regardless of gender identity.

00:33It could create a California Department of Youth Sports.

00:37The bill's author, Assemblymember Tina McKinner, called the current youth sports landscape highly fragmented and unfair.

00:44In the legislation, she cited pay-to-play models, a lack of facilities, hyper-competitive leagues,

00:51and inaccessible community-based programs as roadblocks for some kids.

00:56Newsom approved the bill despite comments on his podcast in March that angered Democrats.

01:02In an exchange with conservative activist Charlie Kirk, he said biological males competing in women's sports is unfair.

01:10But, like, would you do something like that? Would you say no men in female sports?

01:13Well, I think it's an issue of fairness. I completely agree with you on that.

01:17It is an issue of fairness. It's deeply unfair.

01:19Would you speak out against this young man, A.B. Hernandez, who right now is going to win the state championship in the long term?

01:24I can see you wrestling with it.

01:25No, I'm not wrestling. I'm not wrestling with the fairness issue. I totally agree with you.

01:29California Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones mentioned Newsom's podcast comments in an open letter to the governor's office,

01:37encouraging him to veto it.

01:38He also called the bill a disguise to allow biological males to compete against women and girls in youth sports.

01:47The author and supporters of A.B. 749 know if they were up front and put forth a straightforward bill

01:53allowing biological males to compete against young women and girls, it would be easily defeated.

01:59So instead, they're trying to establish a stacked commission to indirectly rig the issue in their favor.

02:05The bill was supported by more than two dozen organizations, including the California State PTA,

02:11several Boys and Girls Clubs, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the L.A. Rams.

02:16The state public health officer will convene the commission, which would also study standards in coaching,

02:22health and safety, and pay-to-play models for youth sports.

02:27For Straight Arrow News, I'm Chris Francis.