COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — A last-minute act could expedite what has become a divisive bill at the Ohio Statehouse, known as the “ bathroom bill .”
“There’s extreme mileage that people get out of attacking LGBTQ rights,” Ohio Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) said.
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“We want to protect children, and this is the way to do that,” Rep. Jena Powell (R-Arcanum) said.
House Bill 183 would require both public and private K-12 schools and colleges to designate specified facilities for the “exclusive use of students of the male or female biological sex.” The bill also “strictly prohibits the construction of any non-gendered or multi-gendered facility,” like a bathroom or locker room.
“Boys can never become girls; therefore, boys should not be in girls’ locker rooms,” Rep. Josh Williams (R-Sylvania) said.
“We decided to spend our time focusing on bathrooms and I think it’s just a waste of taxpayer time and money,” Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) said.