Kelly Ayotte Sides With Trans Activists On Bathroom Bill Because It’s ‘Impractical To Enforce’

Republican New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte vetoed a GOP-backed “bathroom bill” Friday, rejecting legislation that would have let schools, prisons and businesses bar transgender people from restrooms, locker rooms and other sex-segregated spaces that don’t match their sex.

Ayotte framed the veto of Senate Bill 268 as a repeat of the last two years’ fights, saying similar to prior measures she and former GOP Gov. Chris Sununu blocked. (RELATED: Infamous School Board Trains Staff To Fight ‘Terrorist’ Parents Angry About Trans Bathroom Policy)

“I vetoed a nearly identical bill to this one last year,” Ayotte said in a statement announcing the veto. “I made it clear this issue needed to be addressed in a thoughtful, narrow way that protects the privacy, safety, and rights of all Granite Staters.”

Governor Ayotte: “I made it clear this issue needed to be addressed in a thoughtful, narrow way that protects the privacy, safety, and rights of all Granite Staters. Unfortunately, there is 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 enrolled, would have carved out exceptions to New Hampshire’s anti-discrimination law by allowing certain classifications “based on biological sex,” including in restrooms, locker rooms, detention facilities, and school athletics.

Ayotte previously endorsed the “privacy and safety concerns” raised by Republicans pushing similar language, but said last year’s version was “overly broad and impractical to enforce,” warning it could create an “exclusionary environment.”

Sununu used similar reasoning when he vetoed a predecessor bill in 2024, writing it “runs contrary to New Hampshire’s Live Free or Die spirit” 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.