STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – As the United States Supreme Court hears oral arguments today in cases that will determine whether states may protect girls’ and women’s sports, Arizona House Republicans reaffirmed their defense of laws grounded in biological reality, fairness, and the protection of children.

The Court is considering companion cases from Idaho and West Virginia addressing whether states may limit participation in girls’ and women’s athletics to biological females. The rulings are expected to directly affect Arizona’s Save Women’s Sports Act, which remains blocked by a federal court order.

“Women’s sports exist because biological differences matter,” said House Speaker Steve Montenegro. “Arizona lawmakers passed the Save Women’s Sports Act to preserve fair competition for girls. When Attorney General Mayes refused to defend that law, the Legislature stepped in. Courts should not erase reality or take opportunities away from female athletes through judicial decree.”

Arizona enacted the Save Women’s Sports Act in 2022. After the Attorney General declined to defend the statute, Republican leaders in the House and Senate intervened to continue its defense. Although the Ninth Circuit acknowledged Arizona’s interests in competitive fairness and student safety, it left the law blocked as applied to two transgender athletes.

That case, Doe v. Horne, remains stayed while the Supreme Court considers the Idaho and West Virginia cases. The Legislature’s own petition for review is also pending before the Court.

“For decades, women fought for equal rights and fair opportunities, including having their own space in sports,” said Majority Whip Julie Willoughby. “That progress was hard-won. Allowing men to compete in women’s sports risks undoing those gains and strips female athletes of the fairness they were promised. Girls lose roster spots, scholarships, and playing time, while schools are left without clear guidance. If the left truly believed in women’s rights, this wouldn’t even be up for debate. While they diminish women’s sports, we will continue standing up for women and speaking out for female athletes across the country.”

Courts have moved beyond interpretation and into policymaking by rewriting statutes and constitutional provisions to treat biological sex as irrelevant. Leaving these decisions to unelected athletic associations has produced inconsistent rules that harm students and families.

“Voters deserve certainty and honesty,” said Representative Selina Bliss, sponsor of a 2026 ballot referral to protect girls’ sports. “When courts block laws passed by elected representatives, they substitute their judgment for the will of the people. That is why voters should have a direct say. Girls and their families deserve clear, statewide rules that protect fairness, privacy, and safety—rules that do not change with the next lawsuit or court order. This issue should not be decided behind closed doors by judges or bureaucrats, but openly by the people of Arizona.”

More than half the states have enacted similar protections for girls’ sports. The Supreme Court’s decisions will determine whether those laws may stand nationwide.

“Girls train hard, sacrifice, and compete with integrity,” Speaker Montenegro said. “House Republicans will continue defending Arizona’s law and standing up for fairness in women’s sports.”

Steve Montenegro is the Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives and serves Legislative District 29 in the West Valley, Goodyear, and Surprise. Follow him on X at @SteveMontenegro.