Calif. Gov. Newsom signs bill that GOP calls backdoor to increasing trans athletes in girls’ sports

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation this week that Republicans assailed as a backdoor to increasing transgender athletes playing in girls’ sports.

The bill, dubbed “Youth Sports Act for All,” requires a commission to explore whether a new state office needs to be created to regulate youth sports, including improving access for kids regardless of gender identity.

Newsom, a Democrat, ushered the bill into law Monday after he admitted in a March interview with assassinated conservative commentator Charlie Kirk that it was “deeply unfair” for transgender athletes to compete in girls’ sports.

The past remark, which earned ire from liberals, was raised by state Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, a Republican who lambasted the proposal, AB 749, in a letter to the governor’s office encouraging him to veto the measure last month.

“AB 749 is really just a disguise to actually further cement allowing biological males to compete against young women and girls in youth sports,” Jones wrote on Sept. 26.

“The author and supporters of AB 749 know if they were upfront and put forth a straightforward bill allowing biological males to compete against young women and girls, it would be easily defeated.

“So instead they are trying to establish a stacked commission to indirectly rig the issue in their favor.”

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, who sponsored the bill, accused Jones of targeting trans students and suggested the state lawmaker should care more about the ongoing federal shutdown.

“Senator Brian Jones’ time would be better spent writing to the Republican controlled Congress to end the Trump Shutdown and reopen the federal government, rather than attacking trans students,” McKinnor said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.

McKinnor declined to comment through a spokesperson when contacted by The Post.

The state already allows trans athletes to compete under the gender they identify as in school sports, as the Trump administration has opened a federal probe into California’s rules to see if they violate civil rights laws.

The bill from McKinnor touches on numerous other issues surrounding youth sports, and studies whether boys and girls are able to shoot hoops or swing a bat regardless of their sex, race, income or disabilities.

The blue ribbon commission, which would have appointees selected from Democratic pols, would also study standards in coaching, health and safety and the pay-to-play models, which have been an ongoing issue across the country.

The study conducted would need to be submitted by January 2028.

Newsom did not issue a statement when he approved the bill, and an email seeking comment from his office was not immediately returned Wednesday.

During his sit-down with Kirk earlier this year, he didn’t call for a ban on transgender competition in girls’ sports, but conceded “it’s an issue of fairness.”

“I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness — it’s deeply unfair,” he told Kirk, adding, “I am not wrestling with the fairness issue. I totally agree with you.”