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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVN)--Controversy Thursday at the Ohio Statehouse over student-athletes and women's sports.
The Ohio House votes on Senate Bill 187, which allows NCAA student-athletes to profit from the use of their name, image, and likeness, but republicans added an amendment that would ban transgender athletes from competing in women's sports.
State Representative Jena Powell argued it's about fairness, when introducing the amendment. Democrats argued it amounted to discrimination.
The amended bill passed the house, but a different strategy was implemented in the Ohio Senate.
The Senate passed House Bill 29 Thursday, which deals with sports betting in Ohio, and amended that bill to include the NIL legislation.
That bill now heads back to the Ohio House for consideration.
Supporters of NIL legislation hope to have it passed by July 1st, when similar legislation in 7 states takes effect. Ohio State athletics officials, including Athletics Director Gene Smith and Head Football Coach Ryan Day, argued in favor of NIL legislation.
A statement from OSU on the amended house bill says the university supports a clean house bill, passed by the Senate.