Arkansas law requires students to use restroom according to biological sex

The state of Arkansas has passed a bill into law that requires public school students to use restrooms based on their biological sex. The bill, signed by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, prohibits transgender individuals from using restrooms and locker rooms based on their gender identity. The law applies to students in kindergarten through 12th grade attending public and charter schools.

Sponsor of the bill, Republican state Rep. Mary Bentley, believes that each child in school has a right to feel comfortable and safe in their bathroom, based on their biological sex. Those who violate the law could be fined at least $1,000 by a state panel, and parents can file a private lawsuit if the law is not enforced. Arkansas joins Alabama, Oklahoma, and Tennessee with similar bills.

Opponents of the law argue that it further marginalizes transgender individuals. Supporters say that it focuses on protecting and educating children, without indoctrinating them with the “radical Left’s woke agenda.”

Additionally, Arkansas is considering a bill that would charge individuals who use public restrooms or changing rooms that do not align with their biological sex when a minor is present with a misdemeanor of sexual indecency with a child.

Governor Sanders recently signed an overhaul bill into law, providing a new school voucher program that gives families funds to choose their preferred learning environment.