Transgender South Dakotans who took part in a meeting with Governor Dennis Daugaard on Tuesday say they believe it went well.

The group of transgender people and family shared personal stories with Daugaard at the Capitol, explaining how House Bill 1008 would negatively affect their lives if it becomes law.  The bill would restrict transgender students from using bathrooms that don’t match their biological sex.

“We are grateful that he accepted our invitation and we asked him to veto HB 1008,” Kendra Heathscott said.

Thomas Lewis is a transgender high school student from Sioux Falls who met with the governor. Lewis says he thinks Daugaard understood from the stories told that transgender people want to be treated with respect.

Gov. Dennis Daugaard says meeting with transgender people “put a human face” on a bill at his desk.

But the Republican governor said after the Tuesday meeting that he will still have to weigh both sides of the issue before deciding whether he will sign it. Daugaard previously said that he hasn’t knowingly met a transgender person.

The governor has also met with the bill’s sponsors.

With the bill on Daugaard’s desk, he has five legislative days to sign or veto it.  According to the Legislative handbook, if Daugaard doesn’t veto the bill, it automatically becomes law.