Latest news with #LaurelLibby
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
GOP lawmaker silenced by woke state for exposing a trans athlete gets the last laugh
Maine state representative Laurel Libby has had her speaking rights restored by lawmakers, five months after being silenced for exposing a trans athlete online. In February, Maine legislature voted to silence the Republican state lawmaker, who represents Auburn, after she revealed the winner of a state championship pole vaulting competition had finished fifth in a male event two years earlier. Libby shared unblurred images of the student, named them and circled them - sparking outrage among some across the state. The Supreme Court restored Libby's voting rights on May 20 after she responded with a lawsuit. But her speaking rights had not been brought back, until Wednesday. She said she didn't know for certain why her rights had suddenly returned but believes it could be due to a shift in public opinion over trans athletes in women's sports. ' Democrats know that they are losing on this issue, that the majority of not just Mainers, but Americans, do not agree with their extreme stance allowing biological males to participate in girls' sports,' she said in a video on X. 'They know they're losing on that issue, they know that they're losing in the courts regarding my lawsuit that I filed… and so they caved because they know they're losing and this is the best way for them to save face.' After her controversial post back in February, Libby was called to a censure meeting where Maine House's Democratic majority passed a resolution finding her in 'clear violation' of the code of ethics. 'I will not be silenced and I will not allow the voices of Maine girls to be silenced,' Libby said on X following the vote to censor her at the time. Reflecting on the issue now, the 43-year-old Libby said on social media: 'When I spoke up back in February it was in defense of Maine women and girls who deserve a fair and safe and level playing field. 'I was punished, political retaliation, for that. Today, Democrats put forward a house resolution to restore my voice and my vote. 'The Democrats caved. They caved because they know they are losing.' Donald Trump repeatedly vowed to remove trans athletes from women's sports on the election trail last year before his sweeping victory over the Democrats and Kamala Harris last November. He signed an executive order on February 5 titled ' Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports' barring transgender athletes from women's sports. The order uses Title IX, a law against sex discrimination in taxpayer-funded education programs, to ban transgender girls and women from participating in female school sports activities. It authorizes the Education Department to penalize schools that allow transgender athletes to compete, citing noncompliance with Title IX, which prohibits sexual discrimination in schools. Any school found in violation could potentially be ineligible for federal funding.
Fox News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Maine Rep. Laurel Libby officially has speaking rights restored after controversial trans athlete censure
Maine state representative Laurel Libby had her speaking rights restored by fellow state lawmakers on Wednesday, five months after she was censured for a social media post that identified a trans athlete. The Supreme Court restored Libby's voting rights on May 20 after she filed a lawsuit in response to the censure, but her speaking rights have still been withheld from her until now. Libby was still waging her lawsuit against Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau to have the full censure overturned. Libby told Fox News Digital that she walked into the state capital Wednesday unaware that today her speaking rights would be restored, and she didn't even find out until near the end of the session when she and others were getting ready to adjourn. Just before adjournment, House assistant majority leader Lori Gramlich proposed a resolution that upon adjourning, Libby's full voting and speaking rights would be restored. The resolution passed by a vote of 115-16. "It was a surprise, it was our 33rd supplement of the day, and within minutes it was on the floor," Libby said. Libby's censure was initially passed on Feb. 25 by a vote of 75-70. Libby said no reason was given for Wednesday's surprise resolution that ended the censure. But she believes it's because of the momentum she had in her lawsuit and the growing public opposition against trans athletes in girls' sports. "Democrats know that they are losing on this issue, that the majority of not just Mainers, but Americans, do not agree with their extreme stance allowing biological males to participate in girls' sports," Libby said. "They know they're losing on that issue, they know that they're losing in the courts regarding my lawsuit that I filed… and so they caved because they know they're losing and this is the best way for them to save face." President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that requires states only allow females to compete, but multiple Democrat-run states, including Maine, have defied the order and continued to enable trans inclusion. The U.S. Department of Justice and Attorney General Pam Bondi have even filed their own separate lawsuit against the state of Maine for continuing to defy the order. Libby has been a central figure in the conservative pushback against Democrat policies that enable trans inclusion in girls' sports in Maine. In addition to her lawsuit against Fecteau, Libby has been repeatedly critical of Mills for her refusal to comply with Trump. It started when she made a Facebook post that identified a trans athlete that won a girls' pole vault competition for Greely High School in February, prompting pushback from Democrats in the state who criticized her for identifying a minor, which was the main premise of her censure. However, she and her attorneys argued that the trans athlete had already been publicized in other media. The same trans athlete then skipped the spring track and field state championships earlier in June. A survey by the American Parents Coalition found that out of about 600 registered Maine voters, 63% said that school sports participation should be based on biological sex, and 66% agreed it is "only fair to restrict women's sports to biological women." Many Maine residents have even entire school districts have stood up against Mills' policies alongside Libby. Maine's school districts RSU No. 24 and MSAD No. 70 have each passed their own localized resolutions to keep girls' spots for female students only. There have also been three large-scale protests against the current policies in the state's capital city, Augusta, since February. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
House lawmakers spar over censured representative's right to speak on final day
Rep. Laurel Libby (R-Auburn) asks to read her unrecorded votes into the record. On the final day of the Maine Legislature, Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives held one final argument over the rights of censured lawmaker Rep. Laurel Libby, debating over her request to read unrecorded votes into the record. The Auburn Republican had been barred from voting or speaking on the chamber floor in late February for posting a transgender student's personal information on her legislative Facebook page. She petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for relief after the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied her motion for an expedited appeal to end the censure, which she argued disenfranchised her constituents. In May, the court granted an injunction restoring her right to vote and speak on the House floor. Citing the U.S. Supreme Court's decision, Libby sought unanimous consent from her colleagues to read into the record those that she would have taken during the term of her censure. Some Democratic representatives objected, sparking a heated debate about civility, legislative process, and constitutional rights. Despite initial objections, she was ultimately allowed to speak after a 106-34 vote. The debate over letting her speak highlighted some of the ongoing tensions within the chamber, with Republicans representatives blaming the Democratic majority for silencing Libby. 'This is an example of raw political power, one party exerting control over another … and not letting one of one of the minority members speak,' said Rep. Joseph Underwood (R-Presque Isle). Rep. Richard Campbell, a Republican from Orrington, said in his 32 years serving in and out of the state legislature, 'what I've observed in this first regular session of 132nd is the worst I've ever seen.' However, Rep. Christina Mitchell (D-Cumberland) pushed back, pointing out that Libby always had the opportunity to apologize for her action, which would have ended the censure. 'A precedent was set before in this house when a choice was made not to apologize,' she said. Others questioned whether there was any difference in speaking votes out loud or more formally having them documented on the record. House Speaker Ryan Fecteau replied that there wasn't, because everything that now happens in the chamber is documented via video and archived. 'The request is more so a formality than anything else at this point,' he said. After the vote, Libby proceeded to read hundreds of votes on bills into the record, speaking for more than 20 minutes. When she started speaking, some Democrats left the chamber. Rep. Amy Roeder (D-Bangor) who co-chairs the Llabor Committee on which Libby serves, said the representative has had the ability to vote on bills in committee meetings while censured, but has rarely shown up, even in instances where her vote could have changed the outcome of bills. 'She was too busy telling the media how she was being silenced to actually use her voice and her vote on the work her constituents elected her to do,' Roeder told Maine Morning Star. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Fox News
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Maine legislature rejects bill to keep trans athletes out of girls' sports amid growing conflict on issue
The Maine Senate voted against bill LD 1134, which would have kept biologically male trans athletes out of girls' sports, on Thursday. The rejection comes amid ongoing resistance by the state's Democrat leadership against President Donald Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order, which dates back to February. The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a lawsuit against the state for refusing to sign an agreement to keep girls' sports for females only. A federal judge on Tuesday set a trial date of April 1, 2026, for that lawsuit. Prominent Maine Republican lawmaker Laurel Libby, who has emerged as a central figure in the state's battle over the issue, criticized the Democrat majority for not passing the bill in a post on X Friday. "It is clear that biological reality and the will of Maine people have no bearing on the decisions made in the Maine legislature, as the Democrat majority just voted to allow biological males to continue to dominate in girls' sports and invade girls' spaces," Libby wrote. Athletes and women's rights activists had been lobbying for the state to pass bills banning trans athletes from girls' sports for months. Back in early May, multiple girls' athletes marched on August to testify before the state legislature in support of three bills on the issue including LD114 and similar bills LD 868 and LD 233. "[Democrats] definitely asked a lot less questions to the people who they didn't agree with than the people who they did agree with, and you could tell they did not feel as compassionate," Presque Isle student track athlete Lucy Cheney previously told Fox News Digital. "They got emotional just when [pro-trans speakers] were sharing, and it seemed like they really cared for them, and they wanted to support them, and it didn't feel as much as they wanted to hear our side." Cheney's teammate Carrlyn Buck said that when the Democrats did come to them with questions, they seemed "hostile." "They just seemed more hostile toward our testimonies when they did ask questions," Buck said. "It felt like a lot of questions were being pestering." The DOJ has accused the state of "openly and defiantly flouting federal anti-discrimination law by enforcing policies that require girls to compete against boys in athletic competitions designated exclusively for girls," according to a complaint obtained by Fox News Digital. Governor Janet Mills, the Maine Department of Education and the Maine Principals' Association have held firmly in support of continuing to enable trans inclusion in girls' sports across the state, citing the Maine Human Rights Act as the precedent for determining gender eligibility. Meanwhile, two Maine school districts have already taken matters into their own hands, as MSAD No. 70 and RSU No. 24 have each moved to amend their own policies to keep trans athletes out of girls' sports. A survey by the American Parents Coalition found that out of about 600 registered Maine voters, 63% said that school sports participation should be based on biological sex, and 66% agreed it is "only fair to restrict women's sports to biological women." The poll also found that 60% of residents would support a ballot measure limiting participation in women's and girls' sports to biological females. This included 64% of independents and 66% of parents with kids under age 18. But so far, the governor has remained firm in opposing Trump on the issue, even at the cost of taxpayer-funded legal fees. "I'm happy to go to court and litigate the issues that are being raised in this court complaint," Mills told reporters in April. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Fox News
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Maine Rep Laurel Libby reacts to trans athlete that sparked her SCOTUS battle skipping state championship
Maine state Rep. Laurel Libby became a national figure in the movement to keep trans athletes out of girls' sports in February when she called out a trans athlete for Greely High School who won a girls' pole vault competition. The post resulted in Libby being censured, which she fought all the way up to the Supreme Court to overturn. She was granted her voting rights back by the Supreme Court on May 15. On Tuesday, the trans athlete that Libby's post called out did not show up to compete in the Maine Class A track and field state championships, per multiple witnesses. Libby reacted to the news in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Yesterday a biological male who won the girls' State Championship in February chose not to participate in the girls' pole vault at Maine's Class B Outdoor Track State Championship, and a girl rightfully won the State Championship," Libby said. "Our girls' opportunities and podium placements should be decided by their hard work and performance, not the whims of others. All Maine girls should have the guarantee of a fair, safe and level playing field, which is not the case as long as our laws allow biological males to participate in girls' sports." Fox News Digital has reached out to Greely High School for comment. Female athletes took all the major medals in Maine's girls' track and field finals events Tuesday, after the competition was delayed from Saturday due to weather. It marked the end of a contentious track and field season for the state, as the Greely High School trans athlete and another one representing North Yarmouth Academy competed against the backdrop of political conflict. Maine's current laws have resulted in girls across the state expressing outrage, as at least two trans athletes have won competitions in track and field, cross-country and Nordic skiing in recent years. Presque Isle student Hailey Himes previously told Fox News Digital that she was at the February state meet that Libby posted about where the Greely High School trans athlete won first place in girls' pole vault. "I watched this male pole vaulter stand on the podium and we were all just like looking we were like 'We're pretty sure that's not a girl. There's no way that's a girl,'" Himes said. "It was really discouraging, especially for the girls on the podium not in first place. So that motivated me to fight for them." Himes, along with her track and field teammates Cassidy Carlisle, Lucy Cheney and Carrlyn Buck, marched on the state capital of Augusta in early May to meet with GOP leaders on the issue and lobby the state legislature to pass bills banning biological males from girls' sports. Buck added, "It's not just about the points, it's also that our teammates are going to feel discouraged when placed in an event against them because they're going in already knowing that the outcome is decided, with playing against a biological male who is biologically stronger than them, so they have no chance." As Libby fights a legal battle that included Supreme Court intervention to have her censure overturned, the state's Democratic leadership is fighting a battle against President Donald Trump's administration over the broader issue of trans athlete inclusion in girls' sports. The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the state in response to Gov. Janet Milles openly defying Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order. A federal judge on Tuesday set a trial date of April 1, 2026, for that lawsuit. Trump's administration has said the Maine Department of Education is violating the federal Title IX anti-discrimination law by allowing transgender girls to participate on girls' teams. Meanwhile, Maine's leaders have refused to agree to a written amendment to keep biological males out of girls' sports, citing the Maine Human Rights Act's protections to gender identity. A survey by the American Parents Coalition found that out of about 600 registered Maine voters, 63% said school sports participation should be based on biological sex, and 66% agreed it is "only fair to restrict women's sports to biological women." The poll also found that 60% of residents would support a ballot measure limiting participation in women's and girls' sports to biological females. This included 64% of independents and 66% of parents with kids under age 18. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
