Five Democrats joined all 27 Republicans to send the bill to the Pa. House. Both House Democratic leadership and Gov. Josh Shapiro opposes the bill.
Jordan Wilkie/WITF
As the democracy reporter for WITF, I will cover any kind of story that has to do with how we govern ourselves. That will include doing a lot of election coverage about how to access the ballot, how public officials administer elections, the technology used to run and secure elections, and the laws that govern it all.
My work will also include accountability coverage for elected officials that use their positions to then undermine democratic institutions, like the legislators that voted against the certification of the presidential election results on January 6, 2021. If that weren’t enough, I foresee covering some local government decisions, fights over public records and transparency, and some candidate coverage in 2024. Many stories can have a “democracy frame” meant to help us all understand how our governments work and how we can shape them.
I’m most looking forward to the community reporting about which WITF is passionate. I’ll be talking to a lot of folks about what they want out of their governments, local to national, and how they want to make their visions reality. I’m excited to meet you and talk, with or without a microphone on hand.
I also like to turn my work phone off. When I do that, I’m looking for rocks to climb, trails to run on (slower and slower, somehow), and new places to visit. I’ve lived in the (extended) South for most of my life, so y’all will hear me say things funny and sometimes my hearing is funny, too, so we’ll figure out this radio thing together.
Jelani Splawn / For Spotlight PA
“Over the past half-century, we have fought to protect athletic opportunities for female students,” state Sen. Judy Ward (R., Blair), one of the main sponsors of the legislation, said at a rally in early June. “And now these opportunities are in jeopardy.”
After an hour-and-a-half of heated debate, the Pennsylvania Senate on Tuesday passed a bill to ban transgender women and girls from joining women’s and girls’ sports teams. Five Democrats, including newly sworn in Lancaster County Sen. James Malone, joined all 27 Republicans in voting for it.
The legislation, titled Save Women’s Sports Act, would govern child athletics in K-12 public schools and Pennsylvania colleges.
Republicans advocating for the bill said it was about protecting the advancement of women’s equality and the guarantees of equality under Title IX, a federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination.
The bill defines a person’s “sex” by what they were assigned at birth — strictly male or female, with no consideration for gender.
“We cannot allow the opportunities that Title IX enshrined for women to be lost,” Judy Ward, R-Blair County, said after the vote. “With our passage of the Save Women’s Sports Act today, my Senate colleagues and I showed that they will defend women and their right to safe and fair competition.”
Democratic senators opposing the bill said it could result in harm to transgender children and young adults, and that Republicans were engaging in political theater rather than constructive legislation.
What “transgender” means: The Associated Press defines transgender as an adjective that “Describes people whose gender does not match the one usually associated with the sex they were assigned at birth.”
“This is not governance,” said Sen. Maria Collett, D-Montgomery County, during floor debate. “It is a failure to lead, and it is another example of the majority’s unwillingness to admit that the only answer they have for people looking to build a better future here is ‘no.’”
Democrats have opposed the proposal since it was introduced, and it’s almost certainly dead on arrival in the Democratic-led House of Representatives. Gov. Josh Shapiro has also stated he would veto the bill.
Sen. Lisa Boscola of Lehigh County, the only Democrat who voted for the bill to speak during debate, said the issue of transgender people’s participation in sports would not go away until the Legislature “creates a policy that works for all involved.” She suggested creating a third category of competition that would allow athletes of any gender identity to compete against each other.
Claims of harm to girls and women
Republican senators argued that allowing trans girls or women to participate in girls’ or women’s sports cause harm by reducing opportunities for other girls to win medals, and by potentially subjecting other girls to injury.
Defining “trans girls or women”: A person who is assigned male at birth and transitions to align with their identity as a girl or woman is a transgender girl or woman.
During the debate, Republican senators repeatedly referred to trans girls or women as “biological males,” a phrase sometimes used by opponents of transgender rights to portray sex as more simplistic than scientists assert, and to downplay the significance of gender and how it differs from sex.
“ It is a fact that girls and women have been physically injured by boys and men competing on a female team,” said Sen. Lynda Culver, R-Montour County, referring to trans girls and women. “It is a fact that girls and women have lost records, medals, titles to boys and men competing on a female team.”
In opposition to the bill, Sen. Steven Santarsiero, D-Bucks County, said a tiny number of athletes in the country are transgender.
Of roughly 500,000 athletes who compete in the NCAA, fewer than 10 are transgender, according to NCAA President Charlie Baker. There is no clear information on how many transgender youth play sports in Pennsylvania’s public schools. Approximately 1.3% of Pennsylvania’s 12- to 17-year-olds identify as transgender, or about 10,000 children, according to research from UCLA’s Williams Institute. As a national average, four out of 10 transgender highschoolers participate in sports.
One of President Donald Trump’s first actions during his return to the White House in January was to sign an executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” similarly barring transgender women and girls from participating in competitive sports.
The NCAA Board of Governors updated the organization’s policy in early February to comply with Trump’s orders. Soon after, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, which oversees public and private schools’ athletic competitions in the state, removed its “Transgender Policy” from its manual to follow suit.
Research on harm to transgender people
In their floor statements, Democrats who opposed the bill described harms to transgender people, beyond a ban on participation in sports. Passing the bill sends a bullying message to all trans people, Santarsiero said.
“ That’s the message that gets sent, and it’s a message that can do real harm to people who are struggling for acceptance, struggling for love and compassion,” he said.
Democrats referenced a study by The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization that focuses on LGBTQ+ youth, that showed state-level anti-transgender laws increase suicide attempts among transgender teenagers by a “statistically significant amount,” though the study found a wide rage of potential impact.
“ I cannot support legislation that would possibly cause harm to any Pennsylvanian and certainly not someone of a vulnerable population,” said Sen. Katie Muth, D-Berks.
Malone splits from Dems
Malone faced pushback from his supporters after he said in a virtual forum last month that he planned to support the bill. The Elizabethtown Democratic Committee posted to social media urging Malone to change his mind, while activist group Lancaster Stands Up did the same in a statement.
After Malone voted for the bill Tuesday, his spokesperson declined to comment.
Lancaster County’s Democratic state representatives, Izzy Smith-Wade-El and Nikki Rivera, both called the bill discriminatory against transgender people. Neither directly criticized Malone’s decision, with Rivera saying she is “only responsible for how I vote.”
The Associated Press contributed to this reporting.
Sometimes, your mornings are just too busy to catch the news beyond a headline or two. Don’t worry. The Morning Agenda has got your back. Each weekday morning, The Morning Agenda will keep you informed, amused, enlightened and up-to-date on what’s happening in central Pennsylvania and the rest of this great commonwealth.
Eight Philly teens are back home after being charged with felonies in Florida for stealing more than $2,000 worth of merchandise from a Dick’s Sporting Goods over the weekend.
The teens were in Polk County, Florida, for a youth football championship game, when they allegedly walked into the store in Davenport and tried to get away with stealing dozens of items.
One of their coaches, Raekwon Bynes, spoke exclusively with NBC10 Investigators on Tuesday and explained what happened.
Bynes has been the offensive coordinator for the Olney-based United Thoroughbreds for six years, said the teens have to face the consequences for their actions.
“We strive on discipline, prayer and schoolwork too,” Bynes said.
Bynes said he went to go wake the boys up for prayer when he found that eight of them were not in their beds.
A group of eight Philly teenagers who were in Polk County, Florida, to play a youth football championship game were arrested for stealing more than $2,000 worth of merchandise from a Dick’s Sporting Goods, law enforcement said on Monday.
“I got a phone call simultaneously saying that, ‘Hey coach, can you come get us from from Dick Sporting Goods?’ And when I got there, that’s when I found out everything that was going on,” Bynes recalled.
Polk County Sheriff deputies had taken the teens into custody and were accusing them of stealing more than $2,000 in sports merchandise from the local store.
The Polk County Sheriff, Grady Judd, released surveillance video that allegedly shows the teens stealing from the store.
“They stole, and they stole, and they stole, and they stole, and they stole,” Judd said at a press conference. “Yeah. How do you like that? This is everything that they stole.”
Bynes said he was disappointed with the teens’ actions and asked the deputies and store owner not to press charges, but the teens now face felony retail theft charges.
“I just hope that they take this as a lesson learned, you know, and realize that like actions have consequences and actions also affect not just you but those around you,” Bynes said.
The teens arrested were not able to play in the championship set for that Saturday night, which the Thoroughbreds ended up losing.
After the game, Bynes and the other coaches drove their players back to Philly.
“They didn’t really share much with me. Just because, like again, when a kid is knows that he did wrong, they’re disappointing themselves and they can’t, you can’t, even really look at me in my face, really,” Bynes said.
It’s unclear when the teens will have a court date next in Florida. NBC10 reached out to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, but have not heard back.
Bynes said the teens arrested are no longer on the team because they both aged out and also as a consequence of their actions.
The Columbus Youth Sports Cardinals football team has captured its first championship in the post-merger era.
They defeated the Rice Youth Sports Raiders by a score of 30-26 in a very exciting Superbowl game.
“It was a championship game that was played like a championship game should be played,” CYS Cardinals Head Coach Royce Caldwell said.
The game went back and forth with each team finding the endzone early and often. Caldwell said his defense was finally able to make a couple of stops to help them extend their lead.
Caldwell continued to say that Rice was a familiar foe but they were hands down their toughest games this year.
“We played them once already this year and beat them 44-20 and we knew they were going to come back to the Superbowl ready to play, and they gave us a really good game,” CYS Cardinals Head Coach Royce Caldwell said. “Hats off to them too because they had about 16 players and they gave us our toughest games all season and that shows how dedicated their kids and coaches are.”
In addition to winning the Superbowl, the CYS Cardinals also posted a perfect 13-0 record on their way to the championship. They were able to win so many games because their offense was unstoppable as they outscored opponents this season by a combined score of 524-146 across 13 games.
That is also a testament to their defense as they continued to suffocate teams even though they had a large lead. Caldwell said despite their strong defense and offense the only time they trailed this season was against Rice.
Caldwell said that this friendly but competitive rivalry between Rice and Columbus is the same at the youth level. With bragging rights on the line, everyone brings their best game.
With the Superbowl Championship in their hands after the game, Caldwell made sure his team stayed focused because their football journey was just beginning.
“I told my 6th graders that things only get harder from here and they got a taste of learning football now they have to go and apply in a more structured system,” Caldwell said. “My 5th graders already stepped up and played key roles for us this season, so I told them that I expect them to step up again next season and lead this team because I know they can.”
The CYS Cardinals won the Superbowl, but this was a major win for every child, coach and parent involved this season, and everyone turned in amazing reviews about the first season in the post-merger era.
Columbus Youth Sports Cardinals Head Coach Royce Caldwell gets the water jug dumped on him after winning the Championship. Courtesy photo
Eight members of a Philadelphia youth football team were charged with felonies after allegedly stealing more than $2,000 worth of merchandise from a Dick’s Sporting Goods in Florida last weekend.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office announced the eight teenagers were charged with retail theft over $750 and conspiracy to commit retail theft in connection with the alleged incident that happened Saturday. The teens’ ages ranged from 13 to 15 years old.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the theft was caught on surveillance video.
The teens split up into two groups during the theft at Dick’s Sporting Goods — one of the groups made a purchase and then met the other in the middle of the store. That’s when the teens began to place stolen merchandise inside a Dick’s Sporting Goods bag, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said three of the teens exited Dick’s Sporting Goods with the stolen merchandise and were detained by law enforcement. The sheriff’s office said they found stolen merchandise inside a black backpack and a Dick’s Sporting Goods bag. The five other teenagers were arrested inside the store.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the eight teens were in Davenport, Florida, which is south of Orlando, to play in the Prolifix Nationals tournament with the United Thoroughbreds, a Philly youth football team. They were unable to play in the championship game of the tournament scheduled for later that day, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said the eight teens didn’t have any prior criminal history, according to the Philadelphia Juvenile Justice Services Center.
CALDWELL — Caldwell trustees Monday appointed Erin Smith to a vacant school board seat.
A Caldwell native with two daughters who graduated from the district, Smith is executive director for the Caldwell Foundation for Educational Opportunity, a nonprofit that raises scholarship money for graduating seniors.
Smith told the board that she hopes to boost student attendance, increase parent engagement and strengthen local business relationships with the school district. She previously worked in retail management and as an office manager for a funeral chapel and for the Caldwell Chamber of Commerce.
“We really want to show that we are the place to be,” Smith said.
Smith was one of four applicants to a vacant seat formerly held by Andrew Butler, who resigned Oct. 27. Trustees interviewed three applicants Monday after one withdrew before the board’s regular meeting.
Erin Smith is the newest members of the Caldwell school board. (Ryan Suppe/Idaho EdNews)
The other two applicants who were interviewed were:
Don Atkinson, a longtime softball coach and co-founder of the Caldwell Girls’ Athletic League Softball (GALS), a nonprofit youth sports league.
Ronald Bonneau, a former College of Idaho ski instructor whose wife taught in local public schools.
After the board asked each candidate seven questions, Superintendent Shalene French told trustees that they had to deliberate and select a candidate publicly, which led to an awkward 20 minutes of stalling.
Trustee Trish Robertson filled the silence by telling candidates that the volunteer job is a “huge time commitment.” As the board’s only retired member, Robertson said, she’s responsible for serving on committees and attending meetings scheduled in the middle of the day.
This prompted Bonneau to abruptly withdraw his application. Bonneau, who is recently retired, said he needed to talk about the time commitment with his wife. “I know what a full-time job looks like and this is looking full-time,” he said.
Bonneau’s withdrawal left just Smith and Atkinson. Trustee Manuel Godina finally said Atkinson was his top choice. “You guys are all great people. I’ve just known Don (Atkinson) for a long time,” he said.
Robertson and fellow trustees Marisela Pesina and Travis Manning preferred Smith.
“All three were phenomenal,” Robertson said. “You guys made it really difficult.”
When it became clear that Smith had majority support, trustees unanimously voted to appoint her.
Smith’s application had recommendation letters from eight people, including current and former district teachers and students.
Smith could officially join the board as soon as its next meeting. She will be one of two new trustees come January. That’s when Sam Stone will join the board after running unopposed for Pesina’s seat. Pesina chose not to seek reelection as she unsuccessfully sought a seat on the Caldwell City Council.
Here’s how the school board will look next year:
Trish Robertson – Zone 1 (term expires 2029).
Manuel Godina – Zone 2 (term expires 2027).
Travis Manning, chairman – Zone 3 (term expires 2027).
By Sasha Buchert, Lambda Legal Counsel, Nonbinary & Trans Rights Project Director
For as long as I can remember, people have been throwing wiffle balls, basketballs, footballs, dodgeballs, volleyballs, frisbees, hockey pucks, and boomerangs at me.
As an adult, I’m now part of an adult softball league, where I get softballs hurled at me all the time. Lots and lots of softballs. To be honest, I have loved every second of it. I love to play.
Yes, it’s the feeling of my body in motion — the bat swings, the desperate sprinting, the catches in the field — but there’s more to it than the physical aspects. I love being part of a team for many, many reasons.
One reason I love sports is that it is a great way to make friends. Some of my closest friendships have come through sports. Sharing a series of intense experiences with a group of people that you’ve come to rely upon and trust has led to the forging of lasting connections that often transcend the playing field. Many of my teammates have become permanent members of my friendship network. I turn to them for advice, consolation, and countless other reasons beyond athletics.
Sports has also taught me about how to be a team player. Sometimes, especially whenever ego rears its ugly head, being on a team can be miserable. But there are very few experiences that rival being part of a team that is “clicking” — where everyone is lifting one another up and, regardless of the score, everyone is having a good experience. That magical “click” is something I actively try to nurture in both my professional and personal relationships.
Sasha Buchert with the SF Bombshells in 2018
The importance of persistence is another thing I have learned from sports. No matter how much training you’ve done, or how much natural athleticism you enjoy, you are going to have periods when you are not performing well. Athletics teaches you to persevere through those difficult periods. We all experience slumps, injuries, negative self-talk, and other hurdles. Athletics teaches you that there are no short cuts, but that you will succeed if you are willing to put in the hours. Again, this kind of persistence has constantly paid off for me, both on and off of the playing field.
One other, underrated benefit of playing sports, especially outdoor sports, is the connection with nature that sports provides. It is deeply mesmerizing to stand in a field and watch trees swaying in the wind, hawks soar above me (along with the softballs), and hear dragonflies buzz around my head. Especially at dusk, when the conversations slow, geese fly by in their teams, crickets cheer, and bats (both kinds) dart across the sky.
In short, playing sports has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life, and I believe everyone — including transgender people — deserve access to its joys and benefits.
How Politicians are Failing the Young Trans People of America
I literally cannot imagine my life without sports, and it is sickening to see hypocritical politicians viciously and vacuously disparage young transgender people who simply want to throw a softball, shoot a hoop, or run track with their friends.
Sasha Buchert with DC Flag Football League in 2022
These self-proclaimed “experts” demonize transgender kids, warning against the evils of their inclusion. But when pressed, they are unable to name a single transgender athlete in their state.
The rank hypocrisy underpinning these bills is disgusting. Mean-spirited politicians make a big show of protecting women by banning a handful of trans girls from playing sports, while they simultaneously do everything in their power to restrict the rights of women in so many other facets of their lives. From restrictions on the reproductive rights of women, equal pay for women, voting rights for women, and their obstinate refusal to support public policies that would empower women (such as subsidized child care), their cruelty and hypocrisy know no bounds.
Lambda Legal is Fighting Back, and the Facts Support Us
Lambda Legal, on the other hand, stands loud and proud behind its mission. For more than 50 years, we have been fighting to defend the LGBTQ+ community and everyone living with HIV, and that includes trans athletes. That is why we are representing a young trans girl who simply wants to play sports with her friends.
Becky Pepper-Jackson, a teenager from West Virginia, wants to participate in her school’s track team activities for many of the same reasons I love playing sports. And of course, she wants to participate because she is a kid and because it is FUN. But politicians in her home state want to exclude her and to permanently ban her from participating.
That is why on January 13, 2026, Lambda Legal is taking Becky’s case, B.P.J. v. West Virginia State Board of Education, all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. We believe kids should be able to play, regardless of whether they are trans.
Becky Pepper-Jackson ahead of our Supreme Court oral arguments on January 13, 2026
There are many different legal arguments that anchor our case. But I want to close by emphasizing the following points, especially to help dispel the misinformation often spewed by anti-trans politicians and so-called “I’ve done my own research” experts:
Trans girls actually make up a tiny proportion of athletes in women’s sports. Trans youth make up only 1.4% of all 13 to 17-year-olds, and half of those (0.7%) are trans girls. Few of them play sports. Therefore, it is statistically impossible (and irresponsible and ridiculous) to argue that trans girls will upend women’s sports.
The facts show that participation among high school girls has remained the same or increased in states where there are inclusive policies allowing trans students to participate in accordance with their gender identity. In contrast, participation among girls has decreased in states that have harmful bans.
Research studies that are cited to support bans never involve transgender athletes. They compare cisgender women and cisgender men.
The most important policy argument, however, is that athletics provides countless endless benefits to those who wish to participate. (Like myself!) Depriving kids like Becky the opportunity to play will likely result in long-term negative impacts. We can’t let that happen, and we won’t.
Learn more about B.P.J. v. West Virginia by reading our case page.
Sasha Buchert with a Knoxville softball team in 2025
Game Details: Sunday, Dec. 14, Clemson, S.C., 2 p.m.
Tickets: Click Here
TV: ACCNX
The Clemson Athletic Network: Listen
Live Coverage: clemsontigers.com
X: @ClemsonWBB
Instagram: @ClemsonWBB
Facebook: Clemson Women’s Basketball
Clemson Game Notes: Notes
Promotions: Youth Day Game, 500 Kendama Giveaway, Spyros Bros Halftime Show, & Superhero and Princess Appearances
Clemson, S.C. – Clemson women’s basketball hosts Pitt in its second ACC matchup of the season in Littlejohn Coliseum on Sunday, Dec. 7. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m., and the game will stream live on ACCNX.
SETTING THE STAGE
The Tigers are looking to extend their current single-game win streak and reach .500 in league action. The Panthers have one two of their last three contests as they enter their first ACC game of the year.
THE CLEMSON-PITT SERIES
Clemson trails in the all-time series against Pitt, 11-10, and the Panthers are on a two-game series win streak. The pairings between the Tigers and the Panthers span back to the 1976-77 season. In the last clash, Pitt topped Clemson, 72-59 (Dec. 21, 2018).
LAST TIME OUT
Clemson used a 48-point second-half surge to top App State, 78-59, at Littlejohn Coliseum on Sunday afternoon. Senior guard Mia Moore logged a season-high 21 points, and Taylor Johnson-Matthews added a season-best 20 points to become the first pair of Tigers to score 20-plus points in a game since Amari Robinson (24) and Dayshanette Harris (22) against Miami (Feb. 8, 2024) last season. Senior forward Raven Thompson (11 points) shot 100% (3-3 FG, 1-1 3PT, & 4-4 FT) for the second-straight game. Senior guard Rachael Rose (season-high five assists) has dished out three or more assists in five games so far this season. For the first time since November 2023, Clemson knocked down 20-plus free throws, finishing the game with 21 makes at the line.
BEST OF THE TIGERS
In the latest Nitty Gritties Report, Clemson is ranked 51st in the NET, 18th in the NET SOS, and 50th in the WAB. The Tigers are led by the scoring duo of senior guard Mia Moore (12.6 ppg.) & junior guard/ forward Rusne Augusinaite (10.8 ppg.). Augusinaite is also averaging 2.5 3PM Per Game (3rd in the ACC). Moore holds a team-best 6.5 rebound average and 4.9 assists average (5th in the ACC). Senior guard/forward Hadley Periman is the squad’s leading shot blocker (1.1 bpg.) (15th in the ACC).
SUNDAY, DEC. 21 CANNED GOODS DONATION DRIVE
Clemson women’s basketball will be hosting a Canned Goods Donation Drive (Benefiting Paw Pantry & The Nook) on Sunday, Dec. 21 vs. North Florida. Tiger Fans who bring donation items will receive $5 off admission to the game against North Florida. Items in need include: Wipes, bar soap, shampoo, toilet paper, paper towels, toothpaste, feminine products, Dry goods, canned goods, rice, pasta, Sugar, oil, cereal, canned soup, shelf-stable milk, canned meat, condiments, instant oatmeal/grits, and granola bars.
TIGERS INK MONSTER SIGNING CLASS: HIGHEST EVER IN PROGRAM HISTORY!
The incoming 2026 class is the highest-ranked signing class in program history and ranks third nationally (per 247 Sports) and sixth nationally (per ESPN). Coach Poppie, who is in his second year at the helm, has signed six Top-100 recruits in two years. Prior to the Poppie Era at Clemson, the program has only had six Top-100 recruits in the previous 12 years.
The Class includes: Trinity Jones, Kimora Fields, Julia Scott, Meeyah Green, and Dyarri Braddick.
RACHAEL ROSE NAMED TO NANCY LIEBERMAN PGOTY PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Senior guard Rachael Rose is 1-of-20 players (1-of-6 in the ACC) named to the 2026 Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Preseason watch list, announced by Hoophall & the WBCA. The Nancy Lieberman Award recognizes the top point guard in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball. To be considered for this prestigious award, candidates must exhibit the floor leadership, playmaking, and ball-handling skills of Class of 1996 Hall-of-Famer Nancy Lieberman. Fans can vote for Rose here.
TICKETS
Fans can purchase women’s basketball tickets by calling 1-800-CLEMSON or at ClemsonTigers.com/Tickets/.
FOLLOW CLEMSON WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
For complete coverage of Clemson women’s basketball, follow the Tigers on social media (X | Facebook | Instagram).
