NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee's lieutenant governor says the Trump administration's decision to lift protections for transgender students negates the need for the state to pass a bathroom bill.
Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, a Republican from Oak Ridge, said Thursday that pending state legislation is no longer needed because of the Trump administration's move Wednesday.
The Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Education lifted guidance from the previous Obama administration that allowed transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identities.
In overturning the Obama-era protections, the federal government has now left it up to state and local governments to decide the issue.
Despite McNally's comments, bills that would force transgender students to use bathrooms based on their birth gender are pending in Tennessee.