HELENA β On Friday morning, the House Judiciary Committee heard more than three hours of testimony on a bill that would require transgender people to use the bathroom that aligns with their sex at birth. Supporters said it was intended to protect single-sex spaces, particularly for women, while opponents called it discriminatory.
House Bill is sponsored by Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe, R-Billings. Someone could then sue those facilities if they failed to take those steps and someone of the opposite sex used the space. Seekins-Crowe denied that HB was discriminating against anyone. She said women in these spaces are particularly vulnerable, and that the bill was intended to protect them from violence and harassment.
She said it was a major issue for voters she spoke to during the last campaign. Kristen Juras also testified in support. It doesn't make any sense. Other opponents raised concerns that implementing the bill would be too burdensome, particularly on local governments and shelters.
They questioned what these facilities would be required to do and what kind of legal liability they could face. Kim Patterson, development director for the Friendship Center in Helena, said their organization receives hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funding, including through the Family Violence Prevention and Services Program.
SJ Howell, D-Missoula, asked Seekins-Crowe about how the bill would be implemented, citing a hypothetical example of an encounter in a bathroom at a public library. Are you thinking cameras in the bathroom, guards at all times, checks at the door? Seekins-Crowe said she believed public facilities are already making accommodations and that the impact will not be as large as opponents believe.
