State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

Texas pushes ahead with 'bathroom bill' as others shy away

The Washington Post: AUSTIN, Texas — As “bathroom bills” targeting transgender individuals falter across the U.S., fizzling even in conservative bastions like Kansas and Arkansas following the upheaval over a North Carolina law last year, Texas Republicans are doubling down in their determination.

The resolve to make Texas only the second state to restrict bathroom access for transgender persons before Monday — when lawmakers adjourn until 2019 — is raising the possibility of a special session and exasperating business groups and LGBT rights organizations that have united in opposition for months.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday enough time remains for lawmakers to strike a deal. He said Texas must address student “privacy, safety and security” but didn’t say how far a bill must go — including whether it must require transgender people to use bathrooms that correspond with the sex on their birth certificate.

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