As the clock ticks on this year’s legislative session, the House scheduled a Tuesday floor debate for a bill that would limit transgender children’s sports team participation. Other GOP bills that would restrict or punish transition-related health care, like puberty blockers, missed a key Sunday deadline to advance. By Megan Munce, The Texas Tribune Houston…
Texas Lawmakers Want to Add More LGTBQ Safeguards After U.S. Supreme Court Ruling
A new ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court makes clear that it violates federal law to fire an employee on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. Now Texas lawmakers want to guarantee similar protections for LGBTQ Texans in housing, health care and other spheres. by Emma Platoff and Cassandra Pollock, The Texas Tribune…
Gov. Abbott orders Texans to Avoid Groups of 10; Closes Bars, Gyms and Restaurants for Dine-In
“We are doing this now today so we can get back to business as usual more quickly,” Abbott said. By Patrick Svitek, The Texas Tribune Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday took sweeping action to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus across Texas, issuing an executive order that will close restaurants and schools, among other…
With Business Groups’ Backing, House Panel Adds Non-Discrimination Protection to Senate Bill
State Rep. Dade Phelan added the provision to a Senate bill that would bar cities from enacting rules on how businesses schedule their employees’ shifts. LGBTQ groups worried that without the language, businesses could pick which employees get certain benefits. By Alex Samuels, The Texas Tribune Republicans’ legislative efforts to ban cities from mandating benefits…
Three Republican Bills Which Threaten Local NDO’s to Receive Hearings in Texas House
Three bills that prohibit cities from regulating how an employer distributes benefits, healthcare, and paid leave, and which also contain provisions that could threaten the enforcement of local nondiscrimination ordinances, are slated to be heard by the Texas House State Affairs Committee on Wednesday, May 1. The three bills (SB 2485, SB 2486, and SB…
Religious Refusal Bill SB 17 Moves Forward in Texas Senate
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. Remember when Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told the world there would be “no bathroom bill” this legislative session? Senate Bill 17, which advanced to the full Texas Senate earlier this week, may not ban transgender people from using public bathrooms, but its outcome is just as worrisome…
A Fight Over Paid Sick Leave is Turning Into a Fight Over LGBTQ Non-Discrimination Ordinances
A now-erased provision in Senate Bill 15 explicitly said a potential new state law would not supersede local non-discrimination ordinances. Without that language, many LGBTQ advocates fear Texans could be exposed to some discriminatory employment practices. By Alex Samuels, Texas Tribune What started as seemingly simple state legislation hailed as good for Texas businesses is…
Proposed Texas Bill Gutting Local Sick Leave Laws Would Also Void Non-Discrimination Ordinances
A proposed bill in the Texas Senate (SB 15), which would deny cities the ability to enact paid sick leave ordinances, also contains provisions that would also allow the state to gut the enforcement of non-discrimination ordinances. When it was originally filed by state Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), SB 15 was designed to prevent cities…
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick Advances Bills by Two Anti-LGBT Senators
Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick has advanced two bills in the Senate that would allow professionals who provide health and counseling services to discriminate based on their “sincerely held religious beliefs.” The first bill, SB 444, which was introduced by Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock), applies to anyone holding or applying for a professional license. The…
Dan Patrick dismisses need for bathroom bill in 2019: “It’s been settled and I think we won.”
By Emma Platoff, The Texas Tribune At a Governor’s Mansion press conference on the second day of this year’s legislative session, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick — who last session was the top state leader championing the measure, which would have regulated the use of certain public facilities for transgender Texans — suggested there’s no need…