SiteData Community

For well over an hour, Republicans and Democrats debated the bill, at times hotly. The sponsor, Sen. Judy Ward, a Republican from Blair County, said the bill would "ensure all young women have a fair chance to compete in the sports they love." Ward said that since 2020 in Pennsylvania, 37 female athletes have lost first place and another 13 lost second or third place, although she didn't say from where she drew the statistics.

Pennsylvania´s governing body for high school sports, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, said it was aware of just one transgender student currently participating in sports. The Associated Press´ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP´s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Previously, the PIAA´s policy had deferred to school principals to determine an athlete´s "gender" when "questioned or uncertain." It changed the policy to defer to principals to determine a student´s "sex" when "questioned or uncertain," and added a line that says that, in accordance with Trump´s executive order, "schools are required to consult with their school solicitors relative to compliance with the order." On March 28, Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent a letter to school officials saying she had moved the deadline up - to that very day.

She said the department would consider releasing some funds, but only on a project-by-project basis. WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Education Department to undo a freeze on the last of the U.S. relief money given to schools to help students recover academically from the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly all that money had been spent, but some school districts received deadline extensions that gave them additional time to use it. Districts spent it on things like after-school tutoring, summer school, social workers, college counselors, library books and renovations to make school buildings safer.

It also prohibits any sort of government agency or athletic association from investigating or punishing a school or higher education institution for maintaining separate sports teams for girls or women. Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has unilaterally cut education funding and downsized the Education Department, leading to numerous legal challenges. The Trump administration also cut teacher-training programs that helped rural schools combat educator shortages and has threatened to withhold funding from schools with diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

Democrats warned that the bill will go nowhere in the House, and kindergarten science units a spokesperson for House Democratic leaders accused Senate Republicans of being "more focused on divisive political theater and bullying kids for political points." The bill passed, 32-18, with five Democrats crossing party lines to join with all 27 Republicans in voting "yes." The vote marked the second time the GOP-controlled Senate has passed it. An earlier attempt, in concert with a Republican-controlled House, met then-Gov.

Tom Wolf's veto pen in 2022. This time, Senate Republicans are advancing the effort after President Donald Trump declared his intent to "keep men out of women´s sports." and made it a major campaign issue in last year's election, dividing Democrats on how to respond.