Press "Enter" to skip to content

Rightists Retreat on Potty Panic, Bank on Beating Sutton in 2018

Governor Dennis Daugaard effectively scared legislators off pushing any anti-transgender potty-panic bills last winter. Now Family Heritage Alliance says it will hold off anti-transgender measures until 2019:

A top group official says Family Heritage Alliance Action won’t bring a “student privacy act” next session in part because of GOP Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s past opposition.”

Ed Randazzo, the nonprofit’s director of political operations, also says the group thinks it’s an issue for the Legislature, not the ballot.

…But Randazzo says he’s buoyed because the two top Republicans vying to succeed Daugaard — Attorney General Marty Jackley and U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem — have offered support for the idea [“Major ‘Bathroom Bill’ Supporter to Focus on 2019 Legislature,” AP via Watertown Public Opinion, 2017.08.10].

Note the wave-off on the ballot measure as well. That means FHA won’t be throwing in with Jack Heyd, the lone wolf from Box Elder who proposed a petition drive to put a potty bill to a public vote in 2018 but from whom, with less than three months until the petition submission deadline, we have heard nothing. That’s consistent with FHA’s cool response to the proposed ballot measure last winter.

But don’t think that means FHA and its culture-war allies won’t push other anti-LGBT measures in the 2018 Legislature. They won a big, ugly victory in 2017 with Senate Bill 149, the new law allowing adoption agencies to discriminate against prospective parents based on religion (code for: no babies for transgender or homosexual parents!). Potty panic may not fly with Governor Daugaard, but other anti-LGBT measures will.

Noem and Jackley may be ready to do FHA’s anti-trans bidding if they become governor, but they’ll have to get through Democratic candidate for Governor Billie Sutton, whose voting record shows he’s less FHA-pliable on transgender fairness. Senator Sutton voted against SB 149 this year. Sutton voted against the transgender potty bill, HB 1008, that Governor Daugaard vetoed in 2016, and Sutton resisted Legislative efforts to revoke the SDHSAA’s inclusive transgender policy in 2015.

12 Comments

  1. leslie 2017-08-10 22:06

    who cares? Kaitlyn jenner is welcome too. Surprising anyone reads People, but Annie Liebovitz’ photo is good enough for me.

    I believe alcoholics and addicts too have a medical condition which deserves hospitalization, not exclusion based on opinion

  2. Mary D 2017-08-10 22:47

    I think as you do too; but, I did a Google search of transgender men, and I would just want those men to go use the men’s restroom. Would make life for comfortable for me anyway and that is probably where they would rather be because they are men. There shouldn’t be a law telling them to use the woman’s restroom if they transgendered. Don’t even know why they are known as transgender. they are now changed to men or women.

  3. Jenny 2017-08-11 12:32

    As the ‘pubs like to say ‘that is your choice’. Anti-LGBTs don’t have to utilize a public restroom. Go elsewhere if you have to (or wear a depends maybe).
    Don’t throw your religious views of people that are different on to the rest of us.

  4. buckobear 2017-08-11 12:43

    If someone goes into a bathroom, enters a stall, closes the door, sits down, and does their bidness; why do you care (and how do you know) what equipment they employed??
    Don’t these people have any agenda that will truly help our society ??

  5. Jenny 2017-08-11 13:00

    It’s a control issue, buck. They have a certain twisted misguided obsession that transgenders are going to rape their daughters and sons.

  6. Jenny 2017-08-11 13:08

    It’s years of religious right wing upbringing that have groomed these ‘pubs with their twisted sexual thinking.
    Upfront they play up the family values wholesome image, but deep down they have tons of dirty little secrets of their own. Why else would they make this an issue?

  7. John W. 2017-08-11 13:40

    Ed Randozzo is the spokesperson for this group on the issue and after several exchanges with the guy, I’m convinced that he’s a religious fanatic the likes of Jim Jones. His view of the bible and his twisted interpretation of it should alarm anybody, christian or otherwise. The man is certifiable.

  8. jerry 2017-08-11 16:12

    Does Ed remind you of an Ayatollah with that smile and beard? Now we know why he thinks the way he does. Ed is Sharia and he should stay out of bathrooms and stop peeking over the divider in the mens room.

  9. grudznick 2017-08-12 20:35

    What’s a good legislature without arguing about pottying? At least we still have Mr. Nelson, who will hide in the potty at some point.

Comments are closed.