Why School Bathroom Policies Have Become A Political Issue In Tennessee

The typically mundane matter of school bathroom policies has been elevated to the highest levels of state government this year. The Tennessee legislature has already spent hours debating where transgender students should use the restroom. The bill in question was voted down, though the issue may be revived.

Around the country, several state legislatures are engaged in bathroom talk. South Dakota passed a bill similar to Tennessee’s, which requires students to use the bathroom that matches their birth certificate. But there, the
governor vetoed the measure.

“I heard their personal stories,” Gov. Dennis Daugaard said after meeting with families of transgender students. “And so I saw things through their eyes in that sense.”

Bathroom usage
dominated the discussion in an emergency session by North Carolina’s legislature.  It was reacting to a non-discrimination ordinance passed by the city of Charlotte.  The legislature overruled the local policy.

Gov. Bill Haslam has not specifically threatened a veto, but he has
argued against Tennessee’s legislation.