Patrick predicts bathroom bill win
Opponents also encouraged by Trump’s action
AUSTIN — A day after the Trump administration rescinded a federal policy on transgender access to restrooms in schools, supporters and opponents of the so-called Texas “bathroom bill” predicted the move would help their side win.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has championed the passage of Senate Bill 6, which he has dubbed the “Texas Privacy Act,” said Trump’s withdrawal of the U.S. Department of Education “letter of guidance” leaves the issue up to states to decide, a move that makes it more important to pass the bill that has provoked repeated protests and thousands of constituent emails, letters and telephone calls to state leaders.
The bill, Patrick said Thursday, “ensures that public schools continue to designate separate restrooms, locker rooms and showers for boys and girls, as well as allowing schools to continue to determine how they will accommodate students with individual needs, as they have always done.
“SB 6 also protects private businesses from being forced by a local government to adopt any kind of restroom, locker room or shower policy and requires government buildings to continue to designate separate restrooms, locker rooms and showers for men and women,” he said, insisting the pro-
posed law “does not discriminate against anyone.”
Opponents said the Trump administration’s move bolsters their arguments, noting that it was the issuance of the letter of guidance by the Obama administration last May that prompted Patrick to push the measure. The Obama policy directed school districts to allow transgender students to use the restrooms and locker rooms that correspond to the gender with which they identify.
“There is no longer any rationale for SB 6, Texas’ bathroom bill,” said Legacy Community Health CEO Katy Caldwell, echoing other opponents who warned that withdrawal of the federal policy, “now an official government position of discrimination, won’t help the extreme bullying these (transgender) kids face.”
At the Texas Capitol, lawmakers’ reaction to the Trump move was muted. Senators said that while the bill has 15 solid votes in favor, all Republicans, five other GOP senators remain publicly uncommitted. That leaves the bill four votes short of being able to come up for a vote by the full Senate.
Senate rules require at least 19 votes to bring a bill to the floor for debate and a vote by the full chamber.
Head count for bill
Sen. Kel Seliger of Amarillo, one of the Republicans who is publicly uncommitted on the bill, declined to say how he would vote on the measure, and said no one has asked him for a commitment. The other four could not be reached.
“I’ve been watching the development of the debate and I’ve been completely noncommittal so far,” Seliger said. “It’s not my bill, so. …”
Other senators said they expect Patrick will get the votes needed to get the measure passed out of the upper chamber. Patrick, as the Senate’s presiding officer, has clout over which bills come up for consideration and passage by the Senate and which bills die in committee.
State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, the sponsor of SB 6, could not be reached for comment.
In the Texas House, several GOP members said Thursday the withdrawal of the federal policy likely will make it harder for Republican supporters there to justify its passage, through they expect conservative Republicans will try if it passes the Senate.
They asked not to be quoted by name, fearful of becoming targeted by supporters and opponents of the controversial measure.
Gov. Greg Abbott remained mum on where he stands. Two months ago, he said he would leave the issue for the Senate and House to decide before he announced his position. At the time, he questioned whether existing state laws were sufficient to cover crimes in restrooms that the new legislation is supposed to cure.
House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, has said only that it is not one of his priorities for the legislative session.
In an interview with a San Antonio radio station, Patrick several days ago said that all state officials except Straus supported the bill. Abbott’s office did not respond to a question about whether he has changed his mind, and he has made no public statement of support on the bill.
No public hearing set
Kolkorst’s bill has not been set for a public hearing in the Senate, though supporters said Patrick has pledged that it will get one soon and move quickly for approval by the entire chamber.
Thursday afternoon, several dozen protesters gathered outside the Capitol to oppose the bill, chanting “trans rights for civil rights” and other slogans.
More than 750 people have indicated they plan to attend a protest dance party to be held outside the governor’s mansion Thursday night, according to a Facebook page for the event.