Proposed legislation that would have made it a crime to use the wrong bathroom has been scrapped, but it’s being replaced by a new version.
NADINE ARROYO RODRIGUEZ: The bill would have made it a crime for someone to deliberately go into a bathroom, shower, or locker room of the opposite sex – if that facility had a sign indicating its single-sex, and the person’s birth certificate didn’t specify they are that gender. Representative John Kavanagh sponsored the original plan. He says he’s changing the bill to protect business owners from potential lawsuits. The new version will allow businesses to dictate who they permit into their restrooms. The revision counters the Phoenix City Council’s recent ordinance that bans discrimination against gay, lesbian, disabled and transgendered residents.
JOHN KAVANAGH: My making it a crime for one sex to go into the another sex’s restroom was too much. It wasn’t necessary, or accomplished what I wanted to do. So, I’m just gonna preclude silly ordinances like Phoenix’s with respect to these very personal public spaces.
NADINE ARROYO RODRIGUEZ: Kavanagh says he’ll introduce the new version of what has now been coined the ‘bathroom bill’ to the Appropriations committee on Wednesday.