Rep. Travis Couture fights bill forcing women into invasive inmate searches
Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, fights a bill that would force female correctional officers to conduct invasive searches of biological males who identify as female. House Bill 1604 allows inmates to choose who searches them, shifting control away from jail staff and putting female officers in an impossible position. On the House floor, Couture offered an amendment to protect women’s boundaries and consent, warning that no woman should be forced to cross personal and professional lines just to keep her job.
