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By Jon Herskovitz AUSTIN, Texas, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Texas measures to restrict access for transgender people to bathrooms in schools and public buildings appear doomed after moderate Republican powerbrokers blocked the bills and hundreds of businesses opposed them. The so-called " bathroom bills " have caused rifts among Republicans who control the state's legislature, leaving no likely path to passage before a 30- day special session wraps on Wednesday, analysts and lawmakers said on Monday. "The bathroom bill in this session is dead and buried with dirt over its coffin," said Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University in Houston. Enactment in Texas, the most populous Republican -dominated state, could give momentum to other socially conservative states for additional action on an issue that has become a flashpoint in the U.S. culture wars. But House Speaker Joe Straus , a pro- business Republican who controls the agenda in the body, has s...

In the end, the controversial bathroom bill went quietly.  For more than a year, Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick led the crusade for a state law to regulate bathroom use for transgender Texans — an initiative that resonated with social conservatives, including many pastors, who backed him up. Patrick for months stood firm in his pursuit for a bathroom bill even while similar campaigns in other states fizzled out.  He was met by loud opposition that only grew with time and eventually proved to be a considerable political force.  Transgender women, men and children from across Texas descended on the Capitol to testify about how the proposal — which would ban local policies that ensured transgender individuals ’ right to use public and school restrooms that match their gender identity — could endanger their lives. The business community rallied against the legislation too, giving House Speaker Joe Straus cover as he refused to negotiate with Patrick on bathroom restrictions.  That ...

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...

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...

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...

Whether you plan to take on a full bathroom overhaul or to carry out such a project in parts, it’s important to know ahead of time how much you'll be spending, and what to include in your budget. The average cost of a bathroom remodel is $9,200, but costs will vary greatly based on bathroom size and other factors. If you plan to gut your entire bathroom, you may be paying upwards of $12,000; if you have a small bathroom or plan to partially remodel, your costs may be closer to $5,000. (For related reading, see article: Bathroom Remodeling On A Budget .) Bathroom remodeling is a labor-intensive project, so a large part of your total spending will consist of payments to professionals you hire. Research shows that 60-70% of costs cover labor and expenses, while 30-40% is spent on the bathroom itself. Here is more on the costs you’ll have to consider when budgeting for a bathroom remodel: Budgeting for a Bathroom Remodel When deciding what you want to include in your bathroom remo...

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 ...

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...

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...

A prominent Christian leader suggests the ongoing issue of transgendered people and public restrooms is about more than where people should potty.  "When you pull up your anchor and you have no moral compass that says true north, then increasingly you lose the ability to understand what's normal," warns Dr. Richard Land, who leads Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina. Land is commenting about so-called "bathroom bills" and transgendered people, a cultural battle in which some state governments have reacted to the relatively new controversy of mentally ill men stating they are women and demanding access to women's restrooms and locker rooms. The most infamous political fight took place in North Carolina, where then-Gov. Pat McCrory and legislators took action with bill HB2 after a Charlotte ordinance forced business owners to allow men to use women's restrooms or be fined for refusing to do so. Homosexual activists reacted as e...

Does the potential presence of trans people make bathrooms any less private? RakicN/Thinkstock In the ongoing national debate over which public bathrooms transgender people should be able to use, both sides have asserted that individual privacy is at stake.  Which position is correct? Those who would bar transgender individuals from using the restroom that corresponds with their gender identity and outward gender expression have argued that sharing a restroom with a transgender person violates an expectation of privacy. Advertisement For example, in the lawsuit filed Monday defending North Carolina ’s transgender bathroom ban , Gov. Pat McCrory argues that HB2 represents a “ common sense privacy policy .” Indeed, the full name of HB2 is the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act. Similarly, in Washington state, a group called Just Want Privacy is gathering support for an initiative that would repeal existing legal protections for transgender individuals . According to t...