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Idaho Senate adopts resolution praising Boise State women’s volleyball for forfeits tied to eligibility dispute
Summary
The Idaho Senate adopted House Concurrent Resolution 2 commending Boise State’s women’s volleyball team after it forfeited matches against San José State; debate split lawmakers over whether the measure targeted transgender athletes and whether it belongs in a legislative resolution.
The Idaho Senate on Feb. 10 adopted House Concurrent Resolution 2, commending the Boise State University women’s volleyball team for forfeiting multiple matches during the 2024 season rather than play a team that included a biological male, sponsors said.
The resolution praises Boise State’s actions and urges the Mountain West Conference to change its policies; it passed on a voice vote after floor debate.
Supporters said the resolution honors athletes who, in their view, defended the integrity of women’s sports. “They demonstrated true integrity and stuck to their principles that they should not have to compete against a biological male,” Senator Carlson said while opening debate on the measure.
Opponents argued the resolution drags transgender people into “social warfare” and expressed concern about the tone and effect of a legislative statement. “This is a complicated issue. I actually don't feel qualified … It's beyond my pay grade,” a senator opposing the resolution said on the floor and later added that “this issue is no longer what it ever started out to be” because of the broader national controversy it has provoked. The same senator noted the hardship faced by transgender youth: “Trans kids have it pretty hard.”
After closing remarks from the sponsor, the Senate adopted the resolution by voice vote. The chamber’s journal shows the resolution will be returned to the House of Representatives, which sent it to the Senate for final action.
The resolution does not create or change law; it is a formal statement of legislative findings and encouragement to the Mountain West Conference.
Votes and next steps: The resolution was adopted and will be transmitted back to the House of Representatives.
Context: The resolution cites Title IX (the Education Amendments of 1972) while framing the debate around eligibility and the rights of women athletes. Lawmakers on the floor disagreed over whether a chamber resolution was an appropriate vehicle to address eligibility rules set by athletic conferences.
