Here is another sign former Governor Asa Hutchinson is gone – HB1156 overwhelmingly passed in the Arkansas House of Representatives and Arkansas Senate and has been signed by Governor Sarah Sanders.
What is HB1156? The radical left insists transgender individuals must be able to use school bathrooms and changing rooms assigned to people of the opposite genetic sex, if the trans person “identifies” with that sex. The left doesn’t care this is upsetting to many people, especially those females who say they do not feel comfortable or safe having to use multi-person facilities with genetic males.
In response to the concerns of parents and grandparents, Representative Mary Bentley filed HB1156, which includes a provision stopping the radical transgender policy in schools. Under the bill, communal bathrooms and changing areas in schools shall be used based on the person’s genetic sex. While protecting children from having to use such facilities with people of the opposite sex, it also takes into consideration the trans person who doesn’t feel comfortable using the bathroom assigned to the person’s genetic sex by providing that the person must be allowed access to a single occupancy bathroom.
So what does the new bathroom law have to do with former Governor Hutchinson?
This is not the first time a bathroom bill has been filed in the Arkansas General Assembly. In 2017, SB346 was filed, but Governor Asa Hutchinson clearly opposed protecting school girls from having to use facilities with genetic males. Because of Hutchinson’s opposition, the bill went nowhere. Because of his opposition, no one dared file a bill on the subject in 2019 or 2021.
Let’s review some statements about former Governor Hutchinson’s position that appeared in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette:
- May 20, 2016, “Gov. Asa Hutchinson stood against any movement to bring forward a bathroom bill similar to one in North Carolina in this special session.”
- January 4, 2017, “Hutchinson on Wednesday said he doesn’t see a need for legislation that would limit which restrooms transgender people could use at public schools.” “Hutchinson, a Republican, said he doesn’t think there’s a problem that needs to be addressed with legislation and that the issue can be handled locally.”
- April 10, 2017, “Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson objected several times against so-called “bathroom bills” that seemingly target transgender people.”
Asa Hutchinson is gone from Arkansas politics, but Hutchinson is expected to run for the Republican nomination for President of the United States. If so, he will represent the Democrat wing of the Republican Party.
Let your public officials know that with Asa gone it is time for Republican officials to live up to the conservative promises of the Republican Party of Arkansas.
