Governor Ayotte has vetoed a fourth bill protecting the privacy of women and girls — after the legislature answered her own objections. We also have good news on childcare, the election season ahead, and a free legal resource for churches this summer.
Governor Vetoes Locker Room Privacy Bill — Again
Governor Ayotte has vetoed HB 1442 — a bill permitting schools, sports organizations, and prisons to separate individuals by biological sex in locker rooms, bathrooms, and places of intimate privacy. This is the second time she has vetoed such a bill this session. The first was SB 552, which passed the legislature 16–8 in the Senate and 179–159 in the House.
When Governor Ayotte vetoed SB 552, she said the bill was not “thoughtful and narrow” enough. The legislature responded. HB 1442 — passed 181–164 in the House and 15–8 in the Senate — was amended to be essentially identical to SB 552, and is one of the most limited biological sex privacy laws in the country. It is a permission, not a mandate: institutions may protect the dignity of the women and girls in their care. They are not required to. The Governor has yet to explain what a “thoughtful and narrow” bill would actually look like.
The need is real. Male individuals who identify as girls have used access to locker rooms to harass and degrade their female classmates. Administrators have falsely told parents that state law forbids any biological sex separation whatsoever. That false claim is now the law of the land in New Hampshire — by gubernatorial veto.
Cornerstone Executive Director Shannon McGinley testified in support of this legislation. Watch her testimony:
The veto is a setback — but not the end. The election season is underway, the primary is September 8, and the general is November 3. The legislature that reconvenes in January will determine whether this kind of common-sense protection can finally become law in New Hampshire. That legislature will be shaped by what happens this fall.
