A measure to bar Montana Rep. Zooey Zephyr, the state’s first transgender legislator, from using the women’s restroom at the state capitol failed to pass the House rules committee Tuesday, with several Republicans voting against it.

Zephyr, Montana’s first openly trans lawmaker, later called the measure a “distraction from the work we were elected to do” and thanked colleagues who voted against it.

Democratic Representative Zooey Zephyr, a transgender woman first elected to the statehouse in 2022, praised her colleagues who voted down the proposed ban in a legislative committee. "I'm happy to see that this proposed ban failed and am grateful for my colleagues - particularly my republican colleagues - who recognized this as a distraction from the work we were elected to do,

Some Republicans joined Democrats in rejecting the measure, which would have restricted bathroom access. Rep. Zooey Zephyr, Montana's first openly transgender legislator, won a second term last month.

Trans lawmaker who was censured by the state legislator before her reelection says effort to bar her from using women’s bathroom is a ‘distraction from the work we were elected to do’

Montana lawmakers, including several Republicans, voted down a measure to ban the state’s first transgender legislator from using women’s restrooms at the State Capitol Tuesday.

A measure that would have prohibited the transgender lawmaker from using the women's restroom failed in committee Tuesday, with even several Republicans voting against it.

A proposal to ban a transgender Montana lawmaker from using the women’s bathroom in the state's capitol building failed on Tuesday.