By THE CENTER SQUARE
As of Wednesday, schools in Ohio are required to have single-sex bathrooms and locker rooms after Gov. Mike DeWine signed the state’s bathroom bill into law.
The bill, folded into a law that revamped the state’s College Credit Plus Program by Republicans, requires multi-occupancy restrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms and overnight accommodations used by multiple students to be designated only for either male or female students.
DeWine announced the signing without comment Wednesday, but House Republican sponsors said school leaders and parents across Ohio wanted the change in law.
“We are thankful that individuals will not have to worry about members of the opposite sex coming into restrooms, locker rooms, and changing rooms in Ohio,” said Rep. Adam Bird, R-New Richmond. “Thank you, Governor DeWine, for signing this important legislation and keeping students safe.”
The bill cleared the Senate earlier this month.
Originally House Bill 183, the bathroom ban bill became part of Senate Bill 104 on the House floor, which was passed before lawmakers recessed earlier this summer. SB104 originally made changes to the Ohio College Credit Plus program.
Sen. Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, said the bill is destined for litigation.
“There is a whole lot of other stuff we could be working on right now, but this is the one. Is this really what we need to be spending our time doing?” Antonio said on the Senate floor. “It’s not really about the bathrooms. It’s about demonizing people. We are telling our children there are people who are less than. They are not the same. They are not allowed to behave like the rest of us. That is a terrible bill.”
What used to be common sense(not so common anymore) now requires passage of a bill into a law.
To that minority leader, Antonio, who asked, “Is this really what we need to be spending our time doing?” That answer is, apparently yes. If no law prohibited running a red traffic light, most drivers would still obey the signal out of respect for other drivers. However, there will always be a few selfish jerks who disrespect others; therefore we need such laws. Up until now, we never needed such laws requiring people to respect the tradition of exclusive toilet and locker rooms for the opposite sex. Some people are now discarding respect for others in favor of their own narcissism. They are selfishly creating the need for more laws.
We live in bizarre times. Our country is no longer about we but about me. The problem with this is we can’t survive as a nation this way. Fat , dumb & lazy is certainly what we have become. Hopefully Trump can straighten some of this out if not the only other option is a world war and a mass loss of life. Our options are narrow. It’s absolutely shameful what has happened.
I was not aware that bathrooms were “unsafe” before this legislation that solves a non-existent problem. Will a birth certificate now be required to use a bathroom in Ohio?
You are just simply unaware of the problem that DOES exist.
An angry parent was arrested at a school board meeting and faced criminal charges for attending a meeting and blamed elected officials for allowing boys who identify as girls use the girls bathroom.
One of the “sheboys” sexually assaulted and sodomized the parents daughter and they did NOTHING and refused to report to the police or put a stop to the policy.
This story made national news but certainly nothing on CNN or MSNBC which is why you may be unaware of these important issues facing parents across the nation.
To top it off Biden’s corrupt DOJ Garland issued statements warning AND labeling angry parents whose children were victims or “simply didnt like boys using the same bathroom” as “domestic terrorists” if they caused a disturbance at public meetings.
Not sure which rock you have been hiding under but there is and has been a huge problem with sexually disoriented youth in schools including Anchorage.
My children used to speak about the gay/lesbian clubs in the public schools frequently which became the immediate end of their public school attendance.
Life is always wonderful through rose colored glasses and one cannot recognize dangerous situations Frank.
Nice to see a little bit of common sense returning.
What’s the problem? There’s “Boy’s,” “Girl’s,” and “Them.” This ain’t quantum mechanics!
Cool story. Has Alaska’s “Republican” majority legislature passed a law like this yet? Yeah, we’re still waiting. Nothing but excuses and virtue signaling.
Every Fur Rendezvous, there’s the usual line-up of Porta-Potties. What’s wrong with single Gender-Neutral bathrooms?
I don’t understand why they are cherry-picking. Why just girl’s schools? How about persons with male genitalia are not permitted in women’s private areas including but not limited to schools locker rooms?
Not that long ago, and I mean 10 years or so it was a crime for a man to do such things. Now all hell breaks out if a woman complains she is being stared at by a naked man while undressing.