Idaho lawmakers passed a sweeping bathroom ban Friday, approving legislation that would make it a crime for transgender people to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity, even inside privately owned businesses.
If Republican Gov. Brad Little signs the bill, Idaho will have the strictest bathroom ban in the nation, subjecting people to time behind bars if they knowingly enter a bathroom, locker room or changing area that does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth.
Violators could be charged with a misdemeanor and sentenced to a year in jail for a first offense, or a felony with up to five years in prison for a second offense.
Historically whether to have all gender restrooms or specific ones has been at the discretion of the business, and Boise has a lot of all gender ones. However, other legislation has been pushing to force out the right of business owners to choose what they want to do in their own businesses, probably because they planned on this legislation all along. Because, you know, party of small government.