Houston Chronicle

Bathroom bill heats up again in Capitol

Hundreds line up for chance to make their voices heard on hot-button issues

- By Andrea Zelinski

AUSTIN — Lawmakers on Friday were quickly passing a wide-ranging series of legislatio­n after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott called them to Austin for a 30-day special session focused on hearing bills he favored that were not emphasized during the regular session.

Hundreds of Texans flocked to Austin after them in support of various hot-button social issues, including abortion, the bathroom bill and even the defunding of labor unions; among many other conservati­ve tickets.

Some had joined the procession with intentions of sharing heart-wrenching personal stories about abortion. A handful of people were there to weigh in on the debate about how school vouchers can impact families. Many more longed for their voices to be heard on the so-called bathroom bill that has been stirring up outrage and passion across the state for months.

After the Texas Senate passed or championed many of those measures during the regular session, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick — a Houston Republican eager to pass bills on the Abbott’s list — took the lead this week by scheduling a marathon of committee hearings within three days. The House is expected to begin reviewing its own legislatio­n after representa­tives return Monday.

“I just hope this time they’re listening with a different perspectiv­e,” Trenton Johnson, a transgende­r man from Dallas, said after testifying against the bathroom bill, which resembles a North Carolina law that requires the use of bathrooms in government buildings to reflect the same sex listed on an individual’s birth certificat­e.

Most Texans who showed up Friday were aware that the senators’ minds had already been largely made up on the list of issues, but they still said having a voice was worth taking the day off of work to make the long drive down I-10.

‘Chipping away’

Some testimonie­s remained hopeful.

“I’m hoping we’ll change one or two minds on this,” said Marissa Grace Johnson, a transgende­r woman and electricia­n in Austin who took the day off. “Most of these (conservati­ve) gains are made incrementa­lly. We need to keep chipping away at it.”

Lise Wilson, who had a gender-nonconform­ing child in grade school and a 20-year-old transgende­r son, handed out witness registrati­on cards to a long line of people winding down the hallway that had been having trouble registerin­g their positions on bills.

“I took democracy in my hands today,” she laughed.

Many Austin citizens chose to weigh in Friday out of feelings of obligation to speak up for people from across the state who lack the time or resources to travel to the state Capitol.

“There are teachers all over the state who want to speak out about this bill, and I live 10 minutes away and I can afford parking, so it makes sense for me to come,” said Betsy Markman, who registered her opposition to the bathroom bill and the school vouchers policy, which are said to promote free market competitio­n among both private and public schools by allowing parents to choose any school they want to send their child. “I want (lawmakers) to know they’re doing it in spite of their constituen­ts, because a lot of what they’re doing is bad for Texans. … I want them to see who they’re hurting.”

Lawmakers said the bathroom bill would ensure women’s safety and privacy. Opponents say the proposal intentiona­lly marginaliz­es and discrimina­tes against people who are transgende­r.

‘It’s insulting’

After more than eight hours of debate and testimony Friday, the Senate Education Committee approved a bill that would create “tax credit scholarshi­ps” allowing parents of students with special needs to attend private schools with state aid. Similar proposals have repeatedly died in the past, usually at the hands of the House, which is opposed to plans that take money out of public schools.

Approximat­ely 6,000 students with special needs would be eligible for up to $10,000 scholarshi­ps to help pay tuition to private or parochial schools. Another 26,000 students could receive $500 a year to pay for other expenses like education materials, transporta­tion or after school care.

Parents and teachers spent hours testifying in the committee, with most saying they want the state to refocus its attention on public education or that children with disabiliti­es will lose their right to federally guaranteed services by sending their children to private school. Others said the tax credit scholarshi­ps could help students with special needs get access to interventi­on sooner.

Debate on the bill grew tense at times, including in an exchange between Republican Sen. Bob Hall, a fan of the bill, and Kara DeRocha, a trustee from Houston Independen­t School District, who has a 13-year-old son diagnosed as emotionall­y disturbed and is opposed to the legislatio­n.

“It’s insulting to me because I spent a lot of time to get to Austin,” said DeRocha, who was testifying on a bill for the first time. “It’s like he was trying to put his thumb on me.”

Maternal mortality

Down the hall, Kerrie Sheedy wanted to put a face to Texas’ maternal mortality crisis. She nearly lost her life in 2015 after pregnancy complicati­ons forced her into a medically induced coma for three days, and lawmakers are considerin­g legislatio­n that would expand a study looking into why Texas has the highest maternal mortality ratio in the country.

“This is a very personal subject to me because it almost happened,” Sheedy said. “I would like to think my story can make a difference. The task force was a really great start, but it was implemente­d years ago, and it’s time to do more in Texas.”

Lawmakers unanimousl­y passed Senate Bill 17, agreeing to expand the duties of a maternal mortality task force that was previously establishe­d in 2013. The task force currently examines the causes and prevention for maternal mortality in Texas and would be charged with also examining what health and socioecono­mic factors are at play.

Lawmakers passed abortion-related bills Friday, including a bill that would ban government entities from any transactio­ns to organizati­ons the provide abortions, namely Planned Parenthood.

Mary Kathryn Paynter, of Austin, wanted to tell lawmakers a story to express her opposition to Senate Bill 4. She said she is a descendent of Dr. Alexander Wray Ewing, the first surgeon General of the Texas Army. He lost that job for following General Sam Houston to Galveston to care for his gunshot wound, indicating legislator­s should follow the same values as her ancestor by providing medical care to those who need it regardless of the policy’s popularity. She also credited Planned Parenthood with quickly catching and treating cervical cancer.

“I wanted to remind them and show them that descendant­s of people who founded Texas have been cared for by Planned Parenthood,” Paynter said. “Half of Texans are born with uteruses. We have to take care of them and we have to know we can always take care of them.”

andrea.zelinski@chron.com twitter.com/andreazeli­nski

 ?? Tom Reel / San Antonio Express-News ?? The line to register to testify Friday in front of the Senate State Affairs committee was longest for the hearing on the so-called bathroom bill.
Tom Reel / San Antonio Express-News The line to register to testify Friday in front of the Senate State Affairs committee was longest for the hearing on the so-called bathroom bill.
 ?? Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News ?? Rev. Mary Wilson, pastor at Church of the Savior in Cedar Park, leads a prayer during a blessing and prayer for transgende­r Texans on Friday in Austin.
Edward A. Ornelas / San Antonio Express-News Rev. Mary Wilson, pastor at Church of the Savior in Cedar Park, leads a prayer during a blessing and prayer for transgende­r Texans on Friday in Austin.

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