Texas Senate Moves Anti-Transgender Bill Closer To Final Vote

The Texas legislature is one step closer to passing anti-transgender legislation in the Lone Star state.

From the Texas Tribune:

The Texas Senate on Tuesday tentatively signed off on the so-called “bathroom bill” on a 21-10 vote with one Democrat — state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. of Brownsville — voting in favor of the bill.

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.

Assuming the bill passes out of the state Senate, it heads to the House where the future is less clear for the legislation. House Speaker Joe Straus told reporters last week, “I’m not a fan of the bill.”