The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Tuesday for two cases involving transgender student athletes, one based in Idaho and the other in West Virginia.
The court is expected to make a ruling in the cases later this year.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada says the cases center around two federal laws. The 14th Amendment, with its protection clause and Title IX.
"I don't know that either of the cases will end up having a significant impact here in Nevada because of state law," said Athar Haseebullah, the Executive Director for the ACLUNV.
However, Haseebullah says it will come down to the final rulings.
"The actual way the decision reads is going to end up having implications potentially in Nevada, but more than likely not, depending on, unless the court decides to expand beyond the question that's presented," he said.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order last year, and then the NCAA and NIAA changed their transgender policy shortly after.
There are efforts in Nevada to also put a transgender ban in sports into the state's constitution.
Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo announced he's leading an initiative to get a measure on the 2026 ballot.
It's called the Protect Girls' Sports Initiative.
“We are taking thoughtful steps to ensure girls’ sports are fair and athletes are safe," the Governor said in a statement. "It’s important that female athletes have the opportunity to succeed in their athletic field. By bringing together a diverse coalition now, we can establish clear and fair standards that protect generations of female athletes to come.”
His campaign says he joined Republican governors supporting Idaho and West Virginia in the court cases.
To get his petition on the ballot, he would need to collect almost 150,000 signatures from registered Nevada voters.
The ACLUNV argues that Nevada does not have any data showing incidents where this was an issue.
"If they think that this is the most critical issue impacting Nevada, that's a real strong sign of where their leadership lies," Haseebullah said.
About a year ago, NCAA President Charlie Baker said he believed out of about 500,000 student athletes, fewer than 10 are transgender.
Our Center, an LGBTQ+ nonprofit organization, sent us a statement. In part, Stacey Spain, Executive Director, said, "The number of transgender student-athletes affected by these bans is extremely small—often just a handful of students statewide—yet the level of political attention given to this issue is wildly disproportionate to its actual impact..."
"These bans do real harm. They single out transgender youth, send a message that they are a threat or a problem, and contribute to stigma that increases bullying, isolation, and mental-health risk. We should be asking why adults are willing to sacrifice the well-being of a very small, already vulnerable group of kids in order to score political points."
Lieutenant Governor Stavros Anthony also started a task force about a year ago, looking at initiatives and policies that would keep transgender athletes out of sports.
If the transgender question were to make it on the ballot, it would need a majority vote this year and in 2028 to be enshrined in the constitution.
