Kansas Lawmakers Enter Bathroom Debate

By Stephanie Akin

Posted June 1, 2016 at 11:00am

Conservative lawmakers in Kansas are joining the national debate over transgender rights with an official rebuke of the Obama administration’s bathroom directive.

The state’s Republican-controlled House and Senate are working to end their 2016 sessions with a set of actions — including a non-binding Senate resolution scheduled for a vote Wednesday — condemning last month’s directive that public schools must allow transgender students to use the bathrooms they choose, according to local media reports.

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GOP Says Obama Overreached on Transgender Bathroom Rule

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A similar resolution , which also recommends impeaching Obama, is making its way through the Oklahoma Senate, part of a wave of conservative backlash sparked by a North Carolina legal fight over bathroom access for transgender people.

The Obama administration has described the debate as a civil rights issue, but some Republican lawmakers say it is an example of the executive branch overstepping its authority to meddle in an issue that should be left to state governments.

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U.S. Tells Public Schools to Give Transgender Students Bathroom Access

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Public schools are not required to follow the Obama administration’s guidance, but the districts do face a threat of losing federal education funds if they do not comply. Texas and 10 other states have already filed lawsuits against the federal government over the directive.

Contact Akin at

stephanieakin@rollcall.com

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@stephanieakin

.