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The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
The Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee passed a resolution on Tuesday supporting any future federal legislation preserving Title IX.
SJR0589 by Sen. Jack Johnson (R-Franklin-District 27) affirms “Tennessee’s commitment to fairness, safety, and equal opportunity in women’s sports” and urges “federal action to preserve the original intent of Title IX.”
The text of the resolution further states that “there are inherent and enduring biological differences between males and females that put males at a competitive advantage in sports and jeopardize women’s safety and privacy when they are forced to compete against males.”
It recognizes that “Title IX’s protections have historically recognized the biological differences between males and females, including the permissibility of sex-specific athletic teams in educational institutions, in order to ensure equal opportunities for women and girls” and “maintaining separate sex-specific teams furthers the goal of sex equality by providing female athletes opportunities to demonstrate their skill, strength, and athletic abilities while also providing opportunities to obtain recognition, accolades, college scholarships, and the numerous other long-term benefits that flow from success in athletic endeavors.”
SRJ0598 goes on to say that allowing men to compete as women “reverses more than fifty years of progress for women” and that both “science and common sense tell us that males generally have larger bodies, larger hearts and lungs, denser bones, and greater muscle mass and strength than females, giving them a competitive advantage that cannot be eliminated through testosterone suppression” before listing the outcomes in different states where trans individuals were allowed to compete as female.
In the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee, Sen. Johnson reaffirmed the intention of the resolution to “encourage federal policy makers to address the issue through clear statutory guidance.”
Tennessee has already addressed the issue at the state level with the enaction of the Women’s Sports Act in 2020 which protects women’s sports by ensuring participation is based on biological sex.
After Johnson’s presentation of the resolution to the committee, there was no further discussion and the vote was 9-1 in favor, with one committee Democrat voting “No” and the other marking herself “Present Not Voting”.
SJR0598 will move to the Senate Calendar Committee to secure a hearing on the Senate floor. If the body approves the resolution, it will then be sent to the House for its consideration.
Should the resolution pass both chambers, a certified copy will be sent to President Donald Trump, the Speaker and the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, the President and the Secretary of the United States Senate, and each member of the Tennessee Congressional delegation.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
