Governor Eric Holcomb says the bill banning transgender girls from high school sports would create more problems than it solves.

In his most extensive public comments since vetoing the bill last month, Holcomb told reporters the bill is “addressing something that isn’t a problem.” He praises the I-H-S-A-A for what he calls a well-thought-out policy on transgender athletes, one he says could serve as a national model. That policy, which has never been used, determines transgender students’ eligibility based on how their bone density and muscle mass compares to the average for girls of the same age.

The bill would replace that policy with a blanket ban on students competing in girls’ sports if they transition from male to female. Holcomb warns the school-by-school grievance process the bill creates would lead to a “hodgepodge” of conflicting procedures.

Holcomb says he’s talked to some legislators about the bill, but isn’t actively lobbying to keep the veto intact. He says legislators know where he stands, and says if the General Assembly is determined to intervene in the issue, it needs to fix the technical issues in how a ban would work.

The House plans to reconvene for a one-day session May 24 to vote on overriding the veto. The Senate hasn’t formally announced its plans but is expected to follow suit. State law requires an override vote before the end of the next legislative session, in April 2023.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox vetoed a similar bill a day after Holcomb’s veto. The Utah legislature overrode the veto three days later.