Gov. Cox signs resolution opposing Title IX expansion for transgender protections
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SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a resolution on Friday, June 21, officially setting Utah to ignore upcoming changes to Title IX meant to add protections for transgender children.
Title IX was originally passed in 1972 and provides protections against sex-based discrimination in federally funded educational programs. The U.S. Department of Education recently issued an expansion to Title IX to include gender identity.
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The new Title IX rules are slated to go into effect in August and would directly clash with Utah’s new transgender bathroom law. The resolution signed by Gov. Cox utilizes Utah’s recently passed Sovereignty Act to ignore those expansions in favor of state law.
The Utah Senate Democratic Caucus condemned the Republican-led effort in a statement released this afternoon.
“This represents a misguided and unconstitutional directive that jeopardizes the future of our state’s education system,” read the statement. “By rejecting these regulations, we risk losing $696 million in federal funds that sustain our public education system.”
Democrats said the resolution risks a conflict with the federal government’s Supremacy Clause, which says that federal laws supersede state ones.
Sen. Jen Plumb also argued against the resolution during the session:
“This dialogue is very confusing, frustrating, and saddening,” said Plumb. “It feels that you have already won this war against a very small group of already marginalized communities. This feels targeted, this feels politicized and it truly feels like we are doubling down on a group of people who are already an unloved section of our population.”
What remains unclear as of is writing is how the federal government will respond to Utah’s new resolution, which was a centerpiece of this week’s special legislative session. Cox signed a total of six bills from the Wednesday, June 19 session.
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