New study renews fears about Texas bathroom bill's financial impacts
In the aftermath of one troubled study on the economic impact of a "bathroom bill" in Texas, San Antonio tourism officials are returning to the legislative debate with another dire financial outlook.
Legislation viewed by many as discriminatory toward LGBT Texans — including proposals to regulate which bathrooms transgender individuals may use — could cost the state $3.3 billion in annual tourism and more than 35,600 full-time jobs associated with leisure travel and conventions, according to a study by the Waco-based Perryman Group. The study was commissioned by Visit San Antonio and the San Antonio Area Tourism Council.
“In other words, what we have been saying all along is absolutely undeniable,” Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit San Antonio, said in a statement. “These numbers tell us there will be a significant — and longstanding — adverse impact on San Antonio and the state. We urge our legislators to consider these effects in making their decisions.”
The new numbers land amid an intense debate over proposed bathroom regulations in Texas, one in which LGBT advocates and the Texas business community have joined forces to oppose legislation they argue is discriminatory and bad for business. The study comes two months after a PolitiFact Texas article identified flaws in some of the numbers used by the Texas Association of Business to produce the state's original economic impact report on the bathroom measure.
Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2017/04/17/opponents-texas-bathroom-bill-give-lift-new-economic-fallout-figures/
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