New Texas bathroom bill may spark North Carolina-like uproar

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

New Texas bathroom bill may spark North Carolina-like uproar

By WILL WEISSERT
Jan. 5, 2017 7:37 PM EST

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Top Texas Republicans are eager to bring a fight that sparked upheaval and business boycotts in North Carolina to the country's largest conservative state, unveiling Thursday a bill that would ban transgender people from using the bathroom of their choice.

The "Texas Privacy Act" requires all Texas residents to use the bathroom or locker room according to the gender on their birth certificates and prohibits local governments from passing ordinances designed to protect gay rights in public restrooms and other "intimate settings."

"It's the right thing to do," said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Houston Republican who oversees the state Senate and quoted Martin Luther King Jr. while promoting the proposal at the Texas Capitol. "The people of Texas elected us to stand up for common sense, common decency and public safety."

Bill sponsor Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, a Republican from rural Brenham, said her "thoughtful and unique" bill won't create a "bathroom police" and will allow anyone to lodge complaints upon seeing something in public restrooms that makes them uncomfortable. She added the bill was written "not to start a controversy but to end one."

But the news conference itself caused a stir. Organizers had to close the door of a packed room after about a dozen protesters — some carrying handmade signs reading "Flush SB6" (Senate Bill 6) — launched a chorus of loud boos.

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Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/e80e8279b8ef41b6adc2361c0fa4b244

[Dustlawyer]

1. Cancel Houston hosting this year's Superbowl!

[Gothmog]

3. Too late for this but this will affect a number of future events

BTW, I may leave town to avoid the super bowl fuss

[Dustlawyer]

5. I know its too late, more tounge in cheek, but if they could that by

itself would get rid of the bill!

[Gothmog]

2. The Chamber of Commerce and Democrats are gearing up to fight this bill

Politics make strange bed fellows

[Thinkingabout]

4. Texas Republicans are slow learners, and Dan Patrick is not a poor leader.

The only thing to save the Super Bowl in Houston this year is the bill would not get passed in time to move it. This is a terrible decision to even introduce this bill. Personally I do not go into restrooms to gawk at others who may be using the facility, some sick folks introducing these bills.

[LostOne4Ever]

6. Fuck my state legislatures! Why can't my state ever not be run by bigots? nt

[Initech]

7. They want this to be a SCOTUS issue.

And the Trump backed SCOTUS would give it to them. Fuck them.