US EditionStatehouses Are the Public’s Houses, but the Fight for Potty Parity Continues
FRANKLIN COUNTY, KENTUCKY, JUL 26 – Renovations costing hundreds of millions aim to increase women's restroom access in historic statehouses where facilities lag behind growing female legislator numbers.
- Kentucky's 155-year-old Statehouse has only two women's bathroom stalls near the House and Senate chambers on the third floor, serving 41 female legislators among 138 members.
- This limited access forces female lawmakers to risk missing critical votes or debates, highlighting how aging statehouses were designed without women in mind, as observed by Rep. Lisa Willner and others.
- Other states have expanded female restroom facilities over decades, such as Nebraska adding one in 1988 and the U.S. Capitol installing the first congresswomen's restroom in 1962, while Georgia prioritizes bathroom access in a $392 million renovation.
- Gerald Pilgrim of Georgia’s Building Authority said, "expanding bathroom access is a priority," while architect Kathryn Anthony emphasized that potty parity speaks to "respect and inclusion."
- Kentucky plans a $300 million renovation aiming to add more women's restrooms and address disparity, reflecting growing awareness amid rising female legislative representation and historic facility limitations.
53 Articles
53 Articles
Washington Top News
My Mother LodeStatehouses are the public’s houses, but the fight for potty parity continues
For female state lawmakers in Kentucky, choosing when to go to the bathroom has long required careful calculation. There are only two bathroom stalls for women…
Women in legislatures across the US fight for ‘potty parity’
For female state lawmakers in Kentucky, choosing when to go to the bathroom has long required careful calculation. There are only two bathroom stalls for women on the third floor of the Kentucky Statehouse, where the House and Senate chambers are located. Female legislators — 41 of the 138 member Legislature — needing a reprieve during a lengthy floor session have to weigh the risk of missing an important debate or a critical vote. None of their…
Associated Press News
Statehouses are the public's houses, but the fight for potty parity continues
Statehouses across the U.S. are addressing long-standing bathroom disparities for female lawmakers. In Kentucky, there is limited restroom access for women in the Statehouse, who risk missing debates or votes if they have to stand in line to answer the call of nature.
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