Last-Minute Push By Lawmakers Resurrects Transgender Bathroom Bill

Senate Bill 1619, also known as the transgender bathroom bill, has been on a roller coaster ride and will not be heard again after a vote Tuesday night.  

News first came out early on Tuesday that SB 1619 would not be heard in this year’s legislative session. The OKC Chamber of Commerce has come out strongly against the bill, saying that it could cause “severe economic damage” for the city.

Not long after word came down that the bill had “died,” it was suddenly resurrected after bloc of lawmakers insisted it be heard. It was thought the bill would wait until Wednesday to be discussed in a Senate Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget, but in yet another curve ball, News 9 has learned SB 1619 would be heard Tuesday night.  

The committee voted 10 to 10.

SB 1619 would allow students to apply for a religious accommodation to use a restroom or locker room designed for exclusive use by those whose sex at birth matches the student's own.