GOP Senator: Don’t Force Employees To Wash Their Hands After Using Toilet

In this photo taken Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012, House Speaker Thom Tillis greets Representative-elects during an orientation session for new House members at the Legislative Building in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
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In a week packed with news over concerns for public health, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) described his own history of opposing certain health and hygiene regulations, including those that require employees to wash their hands after using the bathroom.

During a Q&A at the Bipartisan Policy Center on Monday, Tillis related a story from his time in the state legislature in 2010, complaining that the U.S. is “one of the most regulated nations in the history of the planet,” video via C-SPAN shows.

“I was having a discussion with someone, and we were at a Starbucks in my district, and we were talking about certain regulations where I felt like ‘maybe you should allow businesses to opt out,'” the senator said.

Tillis said his interlocutor was in disbelief, and asked whether he thought businesses should be allowed to “opt out” of requiring employees to wash their hands after using the restroom.

The senator said he’d be fine with it, so long as businesses made this clear in “advertising” and “employment literature.”

“I said: ‘I don’t have any problem with Starbucks if they choose to opt out of this policy as long as they post a sign that says “We don’t require our employees to wash their hands after leaving the restroom,” Tillis said.

“The market will take care of that,” he added, to laughter from the audience.

Wrapping up the Q&A, the moderator joked to Tillis, “I’m not sure I’m gonna shake your hand.”

h/t The District Sentinel

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Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for dont dont says:

    I know I’m not going to shake his hand

  2. “I said: I don’t have any problem with Starbucks if they choose to opt out of this policy as long as they post a sign that says ‘We don’t require our employees to wash their hands after leaving the restroom’,"

    Is the sign optional too? FUCKING MORON.

    One thing’s for sure: never shake this motherfucker’s hand (great photo choice TPM).

  3. They’re idiots. Seriously.

  4. These people have shit for brains and I think they have just taken a huge dump.

    People shouldn’t be required to have their eyes open while driving…

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