Bathroom bill heats up again in Capitol
Hundreds line up for chance to make their voices heard on hot-button issues
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