The Texas Senate Tuesday night, with only one Democrat joining the Republican majority, approved and sent to the House the most controversial bill of the Special Session, a measure that will restrict transgender restroom use in public buildings and schools, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
"This bill will hit what I call the 'reset button,' and guarantee the privacy and safety that Texans require," said State Senator Lois Kohlkorst (R-Brenham) told the Senators.
One Democrat, State Sen. Eddie Lucio (D- Brownsville) was the only Democrat to join the Republicans in approving the bill.
Kohlkorst voiced what supporters say the bill will do--stop male sexual predators from entering women's restrooms under the guise of being transgender, then assault, photograph, or molest the women and girls inside.
"This shuts down an opportunity for predators and voyeurs by exploiting this proposed lack of gender boundaries," she said.
Supporters praised the vote.Senator Kolkhorst said it best: ‘daughters over dollars.’ Thanks to the hard work of Senator Kolkhorst and a bipartisan group of Senators, the Senate has given a voice to Texas women and girls. It’s now the Texas House’s turn to finally protect privacy and eliminate the patchwork of confusing school district and local government policies for showers, locker rooms, and bathrooms," said Nicole Hudgens, a policy analyst with the conservative group Texas Values.
But opponents like State Sen. Kirk Watson said the bill will accomplish nothing except discriminate against vulnerable people.
"It harms one group of people under the false pretense of protecting the majority from some amorphous threat," he said.
Several police chiefs told a rally at the Capitol that bathroom crime is negligible, and there have been no cases in cities like San Antonio, which have 'non discrimination ordinances' which allow people to use the public restroom that matches their chosen gender, of people exploiting the laws to gain unauthorized access to rest rooms.
Kohlkorst framed the bill as a 'women's rights' measure. The former college athlete expressed concern that allowing biological men into women's locker rooms will simply convince many women not to participate in college sports, eroding the gains women have made under Title IX and other programs.
The bill now goes to the State House, where its future is very uncertain, and where House Speaker Joe Straus has spoken against it.
One Democrat on Tuesday called for the House to simply adjourn rather than consider the Bathroom Bill and other conservative initiatives which are moving through the Senate.
There is also talk of another 'Killer D's' episode, involving Democratic House members fleeing the state to deny majority Republicans the quorum necessary to approve the measures.