The Senate gave its final approval to a bill that restricts public restroom access for transgender people – legislation moves to the House, facing opposition
The bill passed 21-10 shortly after midnight and is similar to the one that North Carolina enacted into law back in 2016; however, that law got revoked due to boycotts and organized reactions from the opposition.
The Senate in Texas approved a proposal, mandating that trans people use public restrooms in accordance with the sex that is listed on their birth certificate or other forms of ID that are issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The vote came after 8 hours of debate and was the second attempt by Texas lawmakers this year in order to place restrictions on restroom use. Previously, another bill passed in the Senate, but died in the House without any votes.
Joe Straus, Republican House Speaker, denounced the bill, lining up with big name employers such as Apple and Amazon. All of them call it discriminatory and bad for Texas businesses.
The North Carolina law ripped hundreds of millions of dollars from the state and led to the relocation of this year’s NBA All-Star Weekend from Charlotte to New Orleans. Moreover, the NBA agreed to hold its event in Charlotte in 2019 after North Carolina found a compromise solution to the law.
Senator Lois Kolkhorst, the bill’s sponsor, mentioned that there is no clear evidence that enacting the bill would be detrimental to the state’s economy.
