Tennessee’s controversial transgender bathroom bill has been pulled after the bill’s sponsor withdrew her support to give lawmakers more time to consider the proposal.
The move Monday came after intense opposition from businesses and gay, lesbian and transgender rights' organizations that called the measure discriminatory and amid questions of whether the state would lose more than $1 billion in federal education funds.
#BREAKING: Susan Lynn, sponsor of house bathroom bill, is withdrawing her support. No bill this session.. But will come back best year.
— Cuthbert Langley (@NC5_CLangley) April 18, 2016
Republican State Representative Susan Lynn from Mt. Juliet said she did not take into consideration any of the claims that some companies would pull out of the state or that tourism would decline when she decided to shutter the bill.
Lynn said they had to pull the bill for now and rethink the strategy. They have been waiting for lawsuits that are surrounded similar bills in other stats to see how they turned out before sponsoring the bill again.
The legislature has been running out of time, and Lynn said it was not the time to put the bill forward. Over the summer, she and her cosponsors planned to think more about the bill.
Lynn on bathroom bill: "We'll keep working on it. We'll come back next session. Absolutely." @NC5
— Cuthbert Langley (@NC5_CLangley) April 18, 2016
The bill would require students to use restrooms that coincide with the gender on their birth certificate. Opponents of the bill said it unfairly targeted transgender students.
The proposal was part of a wave of legislation across the country that opponents say is discriminatory and stemmed from the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark ruling last year that effectively legalized same-sex marriage.
Supporters of the measure maintained they were only trying to protect student privacy.
On their Twitter page, the ACLU of Tennessee released a short statement, saying "Today's move helps us ensure that every child in Tennessee will be treated with respect and dignity."
BREAKING: #TNLeg's #trans "bathroom bill" taken off notice by bill sponsor. Thanks to all who spoke out against this discriminatory bill!
— ACLU of Tennessee (@aclutn) April 18, 2016
Earlier in the day on Monday, a group of Tennessee pastors urged lawmakers to to stand strong in the face of opposition to the bill.
Pastors now praying for legislature. pic.twitter.com/cM38bs2mLi
— Cuthbert Langley (@NC5_CLangley) April 18, 2016
Shortly after news the bill had been pulled, officials with the Family Action Council of Tennessee released a statement.
They said, "we join the thousands of parents across the state who are profoundly disappointed that at this point in the process Rep. Lynn has decided not to proceed with a bill that would have simply protected the privacy of the children they have entrusted to our public schools."
Another group of pastors had signed a letter opposing the bill.
Some have asked: looks like about 80 pastors signed letter opposing passage of bill. pic.twitter.com/NSomTxPiLv
— Cuthbert Langley (@NC5_CLangley) April 18, 2016
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
