Controversial Bathroom Bill Advances in Michigan House
The Michigan House of Representatives has passed a bill that would require public school restrooms and changing facilities to be designated by the sex assigned at birth. This legislation, sponsored by Republican lawmakers, aims to mandate that K-12 schools and public universities adhere to the sex listed on a student’s original birth certificate for access to multi-occupancy facilities.
Representative Joseph Fox (R-Fremont), one of the bill’s sponsors, emphasized the belief that a “loving creator” has designed two distinct biological sexes. He urged his legislative colleagues to support what he described as “commonsense” legislation.
As the bill passed on a party-line vote, it drew criticism from Democratic members of the House. They highlighted the timing of the bill’s discussion, pointing out the ongoing budget negotiations that impact funding for schools and colleges. Representative Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia) accused Republicans of using transgender students as political tools amidst the unresolved state budget.
“There’s been no meaningful work to get us any further away from a budget shutdown than we already are, but also it’s a violation of our civil rights act,” said Pohutsky. “It’s just using trans kids as a scapegoat and bullying them.”
Another Democratic representative, Emily Dievendorf (D-Lansing), questioned the feasibility of the proposed legislation, noting the difficulty in enforcing such a policy without invasive measures. “Unless schools would like to institute gender checks on anybody that they suspect, there is no way to really enforce that legislation,” Dievendorf remarked.
With the bill now headed to the Michigan Senate, where Democrats hold a majority, its future appears uncertain. Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) declared the bill as “dead on arrival,” expressing her frustration with the House Republicans’ focus on this issue over the looming state budget deadline.
Brinks stated, “We will not be taking this legislation up and we wish that the Republicans in the House of Representatives were as obsessed with passing the state budget as they are with kids using the bathroom.”
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