Another major indication that the so called 'Bathroom Bill,' which was quickly and successfully sheparded through the State Senate by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick this week, may die a quiet death in the House, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
State Rep. Byron Cook (R-Corsicana), who heads the House State Affairs Committee, told the Dallas 'Morning News' today that he sees no need for a new bill to determine which public restroom people should use.
"There's no evidence of a problem," Cook told the 'Morning News'.
Patrick and other supporters stress predators will take advantage of 'non discrimination ordinances' designed to allow people to use the bathroom and locker room that fits their 'gender identity' to enter women's restrooms, where they will molest women and children.
State Sen. Lois Kohlkorst (R-Brenham) has framed it as a 'women's rights bill,' saying she is afraid that not approving it will thwart Title IX, which allowed expanded women's high school and college sports, by making women unlikely to go out for sports because they won't want to share locker rooms and showers with biological men.
Cook's comments appear to align with the attitude of House Speaker Joe Straus (D-Alamo Heights), who has said that the Bathroom Bill is not a priority. Straus has also indicated he is concerned about the impact the bill will have on buisness.
Patrick has vehemently rejected claims that the bill, technically called S.B. 6, will cost the state billions of dollars in lost revenue, cost jobs, and prompt major event planners to remove events from Texas.
He repeatedly points to Houston, where voters rejected a 'non discrimination ordinance' in 2015, but it didn't affect the January Super Bowl, and Houston has continued to grow as an economic center.
Gov. Abbott, while mocking claims by the NBA and the NFL that passage of the bill might affect their decision on locating events, has not stated if he would sign S.B. 6 if it makes it to his desk this year.
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