Governor Ayotte vetoes ‘bathroom bill' in N.H., just as her predecessor Chris Sununu did
'While I believe that the legislature should address this serious issue,' she said, 'it must be done in a thoughtful and narrow way that protects the privacy, safety, and rights of all New Hampshire citizens.'
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The legislation would have allowed public and private organizations to bar transgender individuals from using
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Unlike the bathroom bills that have passed in other states, such as
Every state in New England has adopted legal protections on the basis of gender identity. Had this bill been signed into law, New Hampshire would have become the only state in the region to add exceptions for transgender people in certain circumstances, according to
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The legislation would have curtailed protections that Sununu
When he vetoed a bill like HB 148 last year, Sununu
Republican Representative Jim Kofalt of Wilton, the prime sponsor of HB 148, disagreed with Sununu's assessment and said school districts in New Hampshire have
'This is an important change that we need to make in our law so that we can respect everyone's privacy and security,' he told senators in May.
The American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire opposed the bill, which policy advocate Courtney Reed called 'egregiously cruel legislation' that would permit discrimination.
'This discriminatory, detrimental, and regressive bill is an attempt to expel transgender Granite Staters from public life,' she said in a statement ahead of the bill's passage.
Ayotte said in her veto message that she worried HB 148 would 'spur a plethora of litigation against local communities and businesses.'
Ayotte said the provisions of HB 148 that pertain to athletics for women and girls are 'weaker' than New Hampshire's current law, which is being challenged in federal court.
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Legal challenges to bathroom bans have had mixed results elsewhere. Some bans have been upheld, such as a
Amanda Gokee can be reached at
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