Mississippi House reintroduces bill to restrict transgender rights

Mississippi lawmakers have reintroduced legislation aiming to restrict legal recognition of transgender people.

The House voted 86-34 Wednesday to reintroduce Senate Bill 2753, known as the SAFER Act. If it had been passed before, it would have designated that people could only use sex-specific public facilities such as bathrooms and changing room based on their sex assigned at birth.

The bill had previously died Monday after Senate and House lawmakers failed to come to a final agreement on the legislation by a legislative deadline to submit conference reports.

Both chambers had passed the bill but made changes that needed ironing out, which caused the bill to be sent to conference.

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Sen. Josh Harkins, R-Flowood, who sponsored SB 2753, did not respond to calls or messages made seeking comment on the bill for this story. The bill was previously passed by both chambers with certain revisions made, which sent the bill to conference.

Before voting, Rep. Robert Johnson, D-Natchez, asked House Rules Chairman Fred Shanks, R- Brandon, if it was a relevant decision to reintroduce a bill to restrict the rights of transgender people while lawmakers are looking to continue work on Medicaid expansion.

Shanks response? Yes.

Rep. Joey Hood, R-Ackerman, who previously presented SB 2753 to the House, was not available for comment by the time of publication.

The legislation will now head back to Senate and House lawmakers for a vote.

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Grant McLaughlin covers state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: MS House revives transgender bill