Tennessee Senators Mull Version Of Costly N.C. Bathroom Bill
A bill with some similarities to North Carolina's notorious HB2 is being unveiled in committee in the Tennessee legislature this week, sponsored by Sen. Mae Beavers (R-Mount Juliet) and Rep. Mark Pody (R-Lebanon). The measure would require students in public schools to use restrooms and locker rooms consistent with their birth certificate. Opponents decry the bill for discriminating against transgender students, as well as for a possible economic impact like North Carolina has faced, the Nashville Business Journal reports.
North Carolina has lost at least $560M since HB2's passage in March 2016, according to a study conducted by Facing South, a subsidiary of the Durham, N.C.-based nonprofit Institute of Southern Studies, though that figure does not (and probably cannot) include the loss to the state from companies that simply crossed N.C. off their site selection short lists. The North Carolina legislature, which has made noises about repealing the law, has not done so yet.
As for the Tennessee proposal, its appearance in committee does not mean it will become law, considering that any bill has to make it out of committee, pass the full House and Senate, and not be vetoed by the governor.
