Gov. Rhoden and Colleagues Urge Supreme Court to Protect Women's Sports

Article Body

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 13, 2026

Contact: Josie Harms

Gov. Rhoden and Colleagues Urge Supreme Court to Protect Women's Sports

PIERRE, S.D. - Today, Governor Larry Rhoden and 25 fellow Republican governors called on the U.S. Supreme Court to protect women's sports. You can find the statement here.

"Forcing women and girls to compete against men, with greater strength and speed, is the opposite of inclusive. It's unfair," wrote Governor Larry Rhoden and his colleagues. "Across the nation, Republican governors have taken action to enact commonsense laws protecting girls' and women's sports in our states."

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments for two cases that could undermine decades worth of hard-won protections for women's sports, Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J.

During the Noem-Rhoden Administration, Former Governor Kristi Noem signed SB 46in 2022, which at the time was heralded as the "toughest law in the nation" to protect girls' sports.

"For generations, women fought for equal opportunity on the playing field and won over 50 years ago with the passage of Title IX, and now that right is at risk again," continued Governor Larry Rhoden and his colleagues. "Today, we Republican governors want to reiterate our calls for the need to protect women's sports and allow young girls to have the same right to an equal and fair playing field."

Governor Rhoden was joined in the statement by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Idaho Governor Brad Little, Indiana Governor Mike Braun, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo, New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte, North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, South Carolina Governor Henry Dargan McMaster, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey, and Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon.

###