Kelly Ayotte Sides With Trans Activists On Bathroom Bill Because It’s ‘Impractical To Enforce’
New Hampshire Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte vetoed a Republican-backed “bathroom bill” on Friday, rejecting legislation that would have allowed schools, prisons and businesses to bar transgender people from bathrooms, locker rooms and other gender-segregated spaces that do not correspond to their gender.
Ayotte framed the veto of Senate Bill 268 as a repeat of the fights of the past two years, saying similar measures were blocked by her and former GOP Gov. Chris Sununu. (RELATED: Infamous school board trains staff to combat ‘terrorist’ parents angry over trans bathroom policy)
“I vetoed a bill almost identical to this one last year,” Ayotte said in a statement announcing his veto. “I have made it clear that this issue must be addressed in a thoughtful and close manner that protects the privacy, safety and rights of all Granite Staters.”
Governor Ayotte: “I have made it clear that this issue must be approached in a thoughtful and narrow manner that protects the privacy, safety and rights of all Granite Staters. Unfortunately, there is a minimal difference between Senate Bill 268 and the bill I vetoed last year…” https://t.co/4O7hV6JNlK
– Steven Porter (@reporterporter) February 6, 2026
SB 268, as entered, would have provided exceptions to New Hampshire’s anti-discrimination law by allowing certain classifications “based on biological sex,” including in restrooms, locker rooms, detention centers and school sports.
Ayotte previously endorsed “privacy and security concerns” raised by Republicans pushing similar language, but said last year’s version was “too broad and impractical to enforce,” warning that it could create an “exclusionary environment.”
Sununu used similar reasoning when he vetoed a previous bill in 2024, writing that it “goes against the Live Free or Die spirit of New Hampshire” and “seeks to solve problems that have not presented themselves.”
Ayotte’s office did not immediately respond to The Daily Caller’s request for comment.
