(AP) – An Arkansas lawmaker is backing away from a broad
“bathroom bill” targeting transgender people that had drawn opposition from the
state’s Republican governor and tourism officials, but says he’ll propose
another measure giving schools legal protection over their restroom policies.
Republican Sen. Greg Standridge said Thursday he’s withdrawing his
one-sentence bill with gender identity and bathroom privileges. A co-sponsor of
the measure had said it was intended to require that someone use the public
restroom consistent with the gender on their birth certificate.
Standridge said the bill isn’t needed after President Donald Trump rescinded
an Obama-era federal directive instructing public schools to let transgender
students use bathrooms and locker rooms of their chosen gender.
Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson and tourism groups had opposed the push for the
bill in Arkansas.
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