South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard noted recently that he had never "knowingly met a transgender person."

He can't truthfully say that anymore. Yesterday the guv met with three transgender South Dakotans, including two students who would be severely adversely affected by HB 1008 for about a half hour..

Thomas Lewis, 18, and Kendra Heathscott, 22, reported that the governor was "kind and receptive in hearing their stories."

It helped me see things through their eyes a little better and see more of their perspective.

--Daugaard

Heatscott actually knew Daugaard through his work at the Children's Home Society. She said the governor didn't seem as tall as he did back then.

You could tell that he’s gone out of his way to get educated about transgender folks. He has the same strong heart that I was aware of when I was younger.

--Heathscott

Lewis said he was pleased with the meeting and tried to explain that the lawmakers who approved the measure are out of touch with students like him, who just want fair treatment.

I tried to bring home that at the end of the day we’re all human and we all need to use the bathroom because that’s what people do. And I really think that the governor understood that.

--Lewis

The governor's office and the Center for Equality said the meeting was not publicized or open to the media or others to ensure the privacy of those involved. And the gathering comes the same day the governor's office received the bill, starting the clock on Daugaard's opportunity to act. The governor's spokeswoman, Kelsey Pritchard, confirmed the receipt Tuesday morning and said Daugaard has five business days to sign or veto the bill. That makes the deadline March 1.

If the governor doesn't act, it will become law without his signature.

Earlier in the day Tuesday, LGBT and civil rights groups gathered at the Capitol to deliver binders filled with tens of thousands of signatures opposing the bill.

Some legislators are slowly backing away from the bill.

I'm not proud of it. It sends the wrong message. I really kind of felt that there's more good that could come from it personally but maybe I'm wrong. Time will tell.

--Sen. Bruce Rampelberg (R-District 30)

It appears to me that the schools are handling this appropriately so I didn't really see any need for the legislation.

--Sen. Craig Teiszen (R-District 34)

Bill author Fred Deutsch (R-District 4) says his focus is on protecting students from being exposed to the anatomy of the opposite biological sex.

This seemed to the easiest and most reasonable. should this fail maybe we come back with plan B and sit down next year with all the stakeholders next year and talk about what that plan B might be

It’s not that bathrooms need to change, people do.

--Thomas Lewis

As one commentator pointed out, South Dakota law allows transgender people to amend their birth certificates, but then the lawmakers refuse to accept that transgender girls are really girls and transgender men are really men.