West Virginia governor signs bill restricting trans athletes

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) on Wednesday signed into law a bill that bans female transgender athletes from participating in sports that align with their gender identity in public middle schools, high schools and colleges.

The big picture: The ACLU issued a statement saying it intends to take legal action over the move. The bill passed in the state Senate in an 18-15 vote earlier this month. It's the eighth Republican-backed bill signed this year targeting trans youth. A record 89 bills have been introduced so far in 2021 targeting trans youth as of April 20, per ACLU.

Go deeper: NCAA "unequivocally" supports trans students competing in sports