TEXAS: State Senate Approves Anti-Transgender Bill In Preliminary Vote, Final Passage Expected Tomorrow

The Texas Tribune reports:



The Texas Senate on Tuesday tentatively signed off on the so-called “bathroom bill” on a 21-10 vote. Senate Bill 6, a legislative priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, would require transgender people to use bathrooms in public schools, government buildings and other publicly-owned facilities that match their “biological sex” and not gender identity. And it would preempt local anti-discrimination laws meant to allow transgender residents to use public bathrooms that match their gender identity.

The floor vote came a week after a marathon hearing during which senators heard 13-plus hours of public testimony from hundreds of individuals, largely in opposition, before advancing the legislation to the full Senate. The upper chamber must still give the legislation a final stamp of approval before sending it on to the House. That vote, known as “third reading,” could come as early as Wednesday.