Arkansas House committee changes controversial public bathroom bill

Aaron Jennen (right), a father of a transgender teenager from Fayetteville, speaks against Senate Bill 270 before the House Judiciary Committee on March 28, 2023. Sen. John Payton (R-Wilburn, left) is the bill’s sponsor. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate)


The Arkansas House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday approved an amended version of a bill that initially would have criminalized entering and remaining in bathrooms and locker rooms that do not match an adult’s gender assigned at birth if children are present.

Senate Bill 270 now limits potential misdemeanor charges and prosecutions to adults present “for the purpose of arousing or gratifying a sexual desire of himself or herself or any other person.”

The amendment and the bill both passed on unanimous voice votes after five cumulative hours of frequently emotional testimony from 40 witnesses against the bill. Almost half identified themselves as transgender, including three minors, and several more said they are the parents, spouses or loved ones of transgender Arkansans.

Aaron Jennen, a Fayetteville attorney whose daughter Sabrina is transgender, requested the amendment during his testimony. The Jennens are plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit against a 2021 state law that banned gender-affirming health care for transgender minors.

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https://arkansasadvocate.com/2023/03/28/arkansas-house-committee-changes-controversial-public-bathroom-bill/