Missouri bill would limit transgender school bathroom access

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Parents of transgender children are slamming a Missouri measure that would require public school students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond with the sex on their birth certificates.

Republican sponsor Sen. Ed Emery said Tuesday that the measure is needed to protect students' safety and privacy.

Parents and transgender children told lawmakers at a hearing Tuesday that the proposal is discriminatory and would put transgender students at risk.

The measure is narrower than a new North Carolina law that applies to all public buildings. The Missouri measure applies only to public schools.

Passage of the North Carolina measure led companies, conferences and concerts to shun that state. A Texas "bathroom bill" led to warnings from the NBA that the state could be overlooked for future events.