Arkansas 'bathroom bill' would cover government buildings

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — An Arkansas lawmaker on Monday proposed prohibiting individuals from using bathrooms in government buildings that do not match their gender at birth, despite warnings from the state's Republican governor against a "bathroom bill" targeting transgender people.

The proposal from Republican Sen. Linda Collins-Smith would require every restroom or changing facility accessible by multiple people at the same time in a government building be designated for use by members of only one sex. The bill would not apply to private restrooms.

Collins-Smith said the proposal was needed to protect the privacy of students by preventing someone of the opposite sex from changing or showering in front of them.

"It does not touch private property. It has nothing to do with businesses," Collins-Smith said. "It sets a baseline for privacy across the state."

Read more: http://pilotonline.com/news/government/politics/arkansas-bathroom-bill-would-cover-government-buildings/article_a01a1ac5-573e-5f35-a691-55d4f4c4ac17.html