Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo is working with a political action committee on a proposal to change the state's equal rights amendment. The petition, filed Wednesday with the Nevada Secretary of State, would require athletes at state-funded schools to compete based on their sex assigned at birth.
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, honorary chair of the 'Protect Girls' Sports' PAC, said, “We are taking thoughtful steps to ensure girls’ sports are fair and athletes are safe,” as the group moves to amend the state Constitution, as reported by 8 News Now. The petition needs nearly 150,000 signatures to appear on the 2026 or 2028 ballot. GLAAD called the initiative a “strategic culture war wedge issue,” noting its impact on transgender people, as per News3LV
.In response to these developments, Washoe County Commission Chair Alexis Hill, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, criticized the petition by calling it "hateful," and expressed support for transgender athletes' rights to participate in sports aligning with their gender identity. "I think that this is all about politics to drive Republican turnout and it's unacceptable and really a nonissue in Nevada," Hill stated in an interview with The Nevada Independent. Meanwhile, Attorney General Aaron Ford remarked on the political undertones of the initiative and expressed concerns over heightened discrimination should it proceed.
If the initiative is to appear on the ballot, proponents must gather and submit at least 148,788 valid signatures statewide by June 24. Furthermore, Lombardo's history of appealing to his base through controversial ballot initiatives, such as the successful voter ID ballot question in 2024, suggests an ongoing strategy as he gears up for re-election, as described by The Nevada Independent. This latest initiative potentially sets the stage for prolonged legal and political battles over the rights of transgender athletes in Nevada and possibly beyond.
