NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The Republican leader in the Tennessee House vowed retribution Tuesday for companies that spoke out against a transgender bathroom bill, suggesting that lawmakers should consider limiting tax incentives and grants to them.
“All these companies who tried to blackmail us for this thing, when they come for their corporate welfare checks next year, we need to have a list out and keep an eye on them,” Rep. Gerald McCormick said to applause.
The bill would have required students in public schools and universities to use bathrooms and locker rooms that matched the gender listed on their birth certificates. Supporters said it would have protected the privacy of students.
Tennessee’s proposal is part of a wave of legislation across the country that opponents say is discriminatory toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
Rep. Susan Lynn, a Republican who sponsored the bill in the state House, said Monday that she was withdrawing the bill while waiting to see how legal challenges play out in other states. On Tuesday, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a Virginia high school’s policy barring a transgender student from using the boys’ restrooms is discriminatory.