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Less than two months after failing to pass a “bathroom bill” restricting access for transgender people , Texas lawmakers are trying again amid fierce opposition from Democrats, civil rights groups and leading businesses. A special legislative session will start on Tuesday in Austin. Among the main items on the agenda is a measure to limit transgender access to restrooms and changing facilities. The issue is the latest battleground in the conflict in Texas between moderate, pragmatic Republicans and far-right, ideologically driven conservatives emboldened by the rise of Donald Trump. That clash is embodied by antipathy between two of the state’s most important politicians: Joe Straus, speaker of the House and a relative moderate, and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick , a Christian conservative who was the state chairman of Trump’s presidential campaign. Passing a bathroom bill is a top priority for Patrick. In a sign of the pressure being placed on moderates as Texas politics lurche...

Editor's note: This story has been updated throughout. The Texas Legislature appears to be at a stalemate on a “bathroom bill” that could push the legislative session into overtime. Refusing to go any further to regulate bathroom use for transgender Texans, House Speaker Joe Straus said Friday that the Senate can take or leave a proposed compromise it passed on Sunday — to which Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick later responded with a resounding no. With the clock ticking on the legislative session, Straus said on Friday that the House will not appoint members to negotiate with the Senate on its proposed compromise on a “bathroom bill.” The Texas Tribune thanks its sponsors. Become one. “For many of us — and especially for me — this was a compromise,” Straus said at a Friday news conference . “As far as I’m concerned, it was enough. We will go no further. This is the right thing to do in order to protect our economy from billions of dollars in losses and more importantly to protect the safety...

More nonsense to destroy white society/Western Civilization. Excerpted From The Guardian: Less than two months after failing to pass a “bathroom bill” restricting access for transgender people , Texas lawmakers are trying again amid fierce opposition from Democrats, civil rights groups and leading businesses. A special legislative session will start on Tuesday in Austin. Among the main items on the agenda is a measure to limit transgender access to restrooms and changing facilities. The issue is the latest battleground in the conflict in Texas between moderate, pragmatic Republicans and far-right, ideologically driven conservatives emboldened by the rise of Donald Trump. That clash is embodied by antipathy between two of the state’s most important politicians: Joe Straus, speaker of the House and a relative moderate, and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick , a Christian conservative who was the state chairman of Trump’s presidential campaign. Passing a bathroom bill is a top priorit...

The Texas House of Representatives adjourned on Tuesday evening, effectively ending the special legislative session . While the Republican- controlled state legislature passed a handful of bills on Republican Gov . Greg Abbott’s conservative agenda, there was one item that did not make it to the governor’s desk: the “bathroom bill,” which would restrict the ability of transgender Texans to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity. Republican lawmakers failed to gain the necessary support to pass the anti-trans legislation. One Democrat in the Texas Senate, Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr . (D-Brownsville), voted for the bill, but moderate Republicans blocked it in the house. JoDee Winterhof, senior vice president for policy and political affairs at the Human Rights Campaign , said in a statement that Texans can “breathe a temporary sigh of relief,” but warned that advocates will keep a “watchful eye” against further attacks on transgender people . Appreciate our work? Rewir...

Celebration is in order in Texas and around the country, as an attempt to pass a transgender “bathroom” bill went down in flames in a special session. And wow, did we ever need a win at this time. As hate and ugliness envelop national politics , it’s something to feel proud about and to revel in. LGBTQ activists and allies rallied big business , from Amazon to Exxon Mobil, and brought pressure to bear. Hundreds of opponents of the bill descended on the state capitol again during the 30-day period in July and August. A bill limited to schools passed the Senate, but it stalled in the House.  It was a major embarrassment for the homophobic, transphobic GOP lieutenant governor , Dan Patrick, who zealously pushed for a broad bill. It was, perhaps more of an embarrassment for Texas Governor Greg Abbott , who bowed to Patrick in calling the special session primarily to pass the bathroom bill after similar bills failed in the regular session. It was a setback for religious conservatives who ...

The battle over transgender rights has exploded into the mainstream in 2016, with the issue of bathroom access taking the forefront. transgender bathroom access exploded in 2016. (Credit: CNN)" width="300" height="225" /> Debate over transgender bathroom access exploded in 2016. (Credit: CNN) Mississippi and North Carolina sparked anger in the LGBT community and among its supporters by passing legislation restricting access . Last month, Massachusetts became the first state this year to go in the opposite direction. And Monday, a federal judge in Texas issued a nationwide injunction barring federal government agencies from taking action against school districts that don’t follow the Obama administration’s guidance on transgender bathroom policies in schools. Here’s where things stand nationwide on this contentious issue: 18 states, Washington, D.C. ban discrimination in public accommodations based on gender identity California — A 2011 state law al...

AUSTIN — A controversial “ bathroom bill ” that was part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s agenda failed to pass during a special session but questions persist about whether it could return in a yet another called session .  A version of the proposal, which also foundered during the regular session, where it was a top priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, sparked opposition from corporate leaders from dozens of Fortune 500 companies, and projections from the Keep Texas Open for Business coalition that passing a bathroom bill could cost some $5.6 billion in statewide revenue loss through 2026. So-called “privacy” bills governing transgender use of restrooms not only polarized Texas residents , but also Republican lawmakers in Austin. University of Houston political scientist Brandon Rottinghaus said that moderate House Republicans , led by Speaker Joe Straus , R-San Antonio, “needed some extra oomph” to fight a bathroom bill and that big-business opposition “gave them the coverage...

SAN ANTONIO - As the Tuesday start of the special session draws near, concerns over the effects of the so-called "bathroom bill" are picking up again in the Alamo City. Supporters of the original bill, Senate Bill 6, were unable to pass it through the legislature during the regular session. Now, passing such a bill is on Gov. Greg Abbot's list of priorities for the special session. The original bill would have required people to use bathrooms in public schools and public buildings that correspond to the sex on their birth certificate and not how they identify their gender. It would have also prohibited political subdivisions , such as municipalities, from creating their own policies on bathroom or locker room access . Opponents of the bill said it discriminated against transgender people. While an identical version to SB 6 has not been filed for the special session, Rep. Ron Simmons, R-Carrollton, has filed two bills that appear to touch on the issue. The bills, House B...

By Jeremy Wallace , Houston Chronicle Updated 2:47 pm, Thursday, August 3, 2017 General Presbyter Sallie Sampsell Watson , of Mission Presbytery in San Antonio, asks Texans to " love thy neighbor " Tuesday at a Capitol gathering of religious leaders to protest the proposed "bathroom bill."  Photo: Tom Reel, Staff / 2017 SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS" class="landscape" /> General Presbyter Sallie Sampsell Watson , of Mission Presbytery in San Antonio, asks Texans to " love thy neighbor " Tuesday at a Capitol gathering of religious leaders to protest the proposed "bathroom bill." " src="src" /> Photo: Tom Reel, Staff Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Image 1 of 1 General Presbyter Sallie Sampsell Watson , of Mission Presbytery in San Antonio, asks Texans to " love thy neighbor " Tuesday at a Capitol gathering of religious leaders to protest the proposed "bathroom bill."  less G...