Senate President Petersen to Attend Supreme Court Arguments Defending Women's Sports
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, January 9, 2026
PHOENIX, ARIZONA— PHOENIX, ARIZONA— Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen is traveling to Washington, DC next week to be present at the U.S. Supreme Court as justices hear oral arguments in landmark cases defending women's and girls' sports.
On Tuesday, January 13, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B. P. J., two cases challenging state laws designed to ensure fairness and safety in female athletic competition. The cases involve statutes enacted in Idaho and West Virginia that restrict participation in women's and girls' sports based on biological sex. The Arizona Legislature filed amicus briefs supporting the states in both cases.
The outcome of the cases could have far-reaching implications for states across the country, including Arizona, where President Petersen and Senate Republicans led the passage of the Save Women's Sports Act in 2022 to protect equal opportunities for female athletes.
While Arizona's law remains tied up in litigation, President Petersen moved to defend the law after the state's Attorney General declined to do so. President Petersen personally sat for hours of deposition as part of Arizona's legal defense, ensuring the case continued through the courts and advanced toward consideration alongside similar laws nationwide. The case, Petersen v. Doe, is currently pending at the U.S. Supreme Court and will most certainly be directly impacted by decisions made on the Idaho and West Virginia litigation.
With the U.S. Supreme Court now weighing challenges to comparable statutes, Tuesday's arguments could shape how states are able to protect fairness and opportunity in women's and girls' athletics moving forward.
"This case represents a defining moment for common sense and fairness in women's sports," said President Petersen. "For years, Republicans have stood up for women and girls against bigger, stronger, and faster men attempting to exploit and compromise their athletic competitions. I am hopeful the Court affirms what so many Americans know to be true – that women's sports should be protected for real women. We are all thankful for President Donald J. Trump and the members of his administration who are unequivocally standing with women on this issue, and we look forward to the arguments on Tuesday and a decision from the court later this spring."
In addition to supporting state efforts to defend the Save Women's Sports Act, President Petersen joined President Trump at the White House last year for the signing of an executive order prohibiting men from competing in women's and girls' sports, underscoring a coordinated effort at both the state and federal levels to protect female athletes.
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For more information, contact:
Kim Quintero
Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus
kquintero@azleg.gov