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Tennessee House adopts resolution urging NCAA to reconsider rules after Riley Gaines case; debate splits chamber
Summary
House Joint Resolution 33 honoring Riley Gaines and urging the NCAA to change its policies on transgender athletes was adopted Jan. 13 after floor debate; the resolution prompted an extended, partisan discussion and passed on recorded votes.
The Tennessee House of Representatives adopted House Joint Resolution 33 on Jan. 13, honoring Riley Gaines of Sumner County and urging the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to reconsider policies that allow transgender women to compete in women’s sports.
Representative Garrett moved adoption of the resolution on the House floor. Garrett read federal anti-discrimination language and described Gaines’s experience as a student-athlete. “I urge the NCAA to reverse their asinine rule about allowing men to compete against women, and I hope you will join me in this effort so we can protect, support, and encourage,” Garrett said on the floor.
The resolution prompted sharp debate. Representative Bane criticized the timing and focus, saying the issue reflected “culture wars” and expressed embarrassment that it was the first substantive floor item; Representative Hardaway pressed whether the measure offered any remedial solutions beyond urging the NCAA to change its policy. Representative Powell and Representative Palisar framed the resolution in a broader context of women’s rights and prior efforts such as the Equal Rights Amendment; Representative Fritz compared Gaines to historical figures who risked personal safety to oppose what they saw as injustice. Representative Grills described the resolution as consistent with protecting his daughter and other young women.
Representative Warner moved the previous question and the House proceeded to recorded votes. The earlier procedural vote to end debate (previous question) was announced as 75-19 in favor; the final recorded vote on adoption was announced as 78-14 in favor of adopting House Joint Resolution 33. The resolution text calls for the NCAA to reconsider its policies in light of Gaines’s case and affirms support for women’s athletics.
The sponsor said the resolution is a nonbinding statement urging action by the NCAA rather than state-level legislation. Garrett and other supporters encouraged colleagues to meet Gaines and hear her account; opponents said the chamber should prioritize other policy matters and suggested legislative remedies if members wanted enforceable changes.
House minutes record the resolution as adopted and placed on the House table with objections noted.
