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Texas' bathroom bill has cleared the first hurdle

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Pastry

Banned
Let's start this off with some known facts. Dan Patrick is a piece of shit and so is Greg Abbott, but fortunately for everyone Abbott probably likes money more than discrimination.

http://www.businessinsider.com/texas-bathroom-bill-what-is-sb6-2017-3?r=UK&IR=T

Total economic losses stemming from North Carolina's law have been pegged in the hundreds of millions of dollars - a combination of frozen business expansions, canceled concerts from high-profile musicians, and relocated sports championships.

The economic impact on Texas is hard to estimate, but one study found Texas is risking more than $1 billion by passing SB6.
But it could face a roadblock when it reaches the House of Representatives thanks to House Speaker Joe Straus, a Republican who has denounced the bill.

Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has remained mostly neutral on the subject, declining to say whether he supports it or not. However, he did criticize the NFL for trying to "micromanage" his state's policy.

I live in San Antonio and it has estimated that we would lose $40 million a year if this bill passes. We're supposed to be getting the Final Four in a couple of years, that would be gone. The NAACP conference, and many others, have said they will pull their conferences from the city if the bill passes. Not to mention all the large corporate expansions that would pass over Texas cities.

I don't think Abbott is stupid enough to sign this though, way too much money to be lost on some dumb shit like this.
 

Stinkles

Clothed, sober, cooperative
A billion dollars in losses could be seen as a political investment in the base. Don't underestimate their shitheelery.
 

CHC

Member
Can't put a price on winning!

The feeling of being "on the right side of history" is simply priceless.
 

Dali

Member
A billion dollars in losses could be seen as a political investment in the base. Don't underestimate their shitheelery.
Plus im sure the deplorables would be happy to throw their money at these places in support. Why have a naacp conference when the brotherhood of white nationalists can come instead? Who cares about a Beyonce concert when David Allen Coe has your back? They'll be raking in thousands of dollars. Thousands! Screw you NFL! The CFL said they'd be happy to have [preseason] games here.
 

Slayven

Member
Isn't weird how this is happened in 2 states that were years ago on all those up and coming new tech center lists? Like they saw progressive and economic growth and thought "no more of that nonsense"
 

Wilsongt

Member
Isn't weird how this is happened in 2 states that were years ago on all those up and coming new tech center lists? Like they saw progressive and economic growth and thought "no more of that nonsense"

All collected sense was loss by the GOP when a black man entered the white house and paved the way for equality for all. Trans individuals are just the easiest boogyman to go against right now since gays won in 2015, and they are already winning the abortion battle.
 

Kthulhu

Member
Abbott and Patrick can get fucked. I hope that this gets struck down in court if it passes, or at least forces these jackasses out of office.

Welp looks like another state I will never visit

If you end up changing your mind I at least recommend visiting Austin.
 
Good thing about Texas is that Dallas, Austin, and Houston make up the majority of what flies for this state as a whole. So much of Texas' growth is dependent on getting companies to move here, so making sure we look good to these companies to continue that trend is going to be first priority to those in power.
 

Link

The Autumn Wind
Isn't weird how this is happened in 2 states that were years ago on all those up and coming new tech center lists? Like they saw progressive and economic growth and thought "no more of that nonsense"
Honestly, that's probably what triggered all this. Can't have their states trending purple, after all.
 

Pastry

Banned
Good thing about Texas is that Dallas, Austin, and Houston make up the majority of what flies for this state as a whole. So much of Texas' growth is dependent on getting companies to move here, so making sure we look good to these companies to continue that trend is going to be first priority to those in power.

Breh you forgetting about SA
 

Kthulhu

Member
Good thing about Texas is that Dallas, Austin, and Houston make up the majority of what flies for this state as a whole. So much of Texas' growth is dependent on getting companies to move here, so making sure we look good to these companies to continue that trend is going to be first priority to those in power.

Don't underestimate a politicians willingness to fuck everything up.
 

CazTGG

Member
It's kind of messed up when politicians (might) do the right thing because of a discriminatory law that would cost them business and not because, you know, it's the right thing to do.
 

mnannola

Member
I mean sure Texas stands to lose a billion dollars, but think of all the problems this fixes.

Remember those thousands of news stories where someone was attacked by a trans gender person in the wrong bathroom?

I mean hundreds of stories.

Wait I mean..zero?

Fuck.
 

Kthulhu

Member
It's Texas, are there really any hurdles for this?

Texas is a lot closer to being purple than most people think. But the GOP owns us regardless, so they have no legal hurdles. The only deterrent we have is in the hands of corporations that won't build here if it passes.
 
I mean sure Texas stands to lose a billion dollars, but think of all the problems this fixes.

Remember those thousands of news stories where someone was attacked by a trans gender person in the wrong bathroom?

I mean hundreds of stories.

Wait I mean..zero?

Fuck.

I think it's more likely that the people fervently arguing for this have actually attacked children in bathrooms. I remember some articles about something similar in another state.
 
Dan Patrick really is an idiot. I remember when him and Perry decided to screw all the teachers over a few years ago, causing districts to lay alot of them off. When the teachers and kids started walking out of class they effectively said that teachers should just go back to teaching and the kids should get back to learning, when their screw up is what caused the whole mess. My wife's district laid off 500 teachers in an instant and had the balls to tell them to finish out their contracts.

The state Board of Education is a joke and many decisions they make regarding social issues is clearly about money more than it is caring about who is hurt.
 

Line_HTX

Member
God, fuck this Lt. Gov.

There's going to be so much lost money if this passes. Abbott needs to get Patrick to back off if he cares that much for the economy.
 

Ekdrm2d1

Member
$1B is a lot of money and Abbott prides himself on the Texas economy, I don't think he wants to sign this.

giphy.gif


Protecting the GOP values (worth more than a billion) will overcome $1B in revenue.

The bathroom bill will pass.
Hopefully somebody quotes me wrong later on..
 

Ekdrm2d1

Member

RPGCrazied

Member
Time for my state to loss some business. I hope companies pull out and go to another state that doesn't allow discrimination.
 
The NFL could pull any Super Bowl to be held anywhere in Texas, no NBA All-Star games, no NCAA March Madness/Final Four games, etc. Texas has a lot to lose.
 

Kthulhu

Member
Don't be stupid Abbott, make sure this doesn't pass.

Part of me wants this to happen just so Abbot ends up like the NC Governor.
 

Lyn

Banned
The NFL could pull any Super Bowl to be held anywhere in Texas, no NBA All-Star games, no NCAA March Madness/Final Four games, etc. Texas has a lot to lose.

Sadly, I am skeptical of this in the end.

First though, let me say I don't support the bill by any means. What makes me skeptical though is that in 2015 Houston failed to pass an equal rights ordinance that would have further protected the LGBT community from discrimination, including allowances to use the bathroom of choice based on gender. Before it failed, a lot of talk was made about the business that Houston would lose including the Super Bowl. Citizens still voted it down though and it failed to pass.

Afterward, the NFL said they were still committed to coming to the city. Granted, it isn't easy to just upend the Super Bowl where commitments have already been made. Plenty of money followed though with celebrities doing concerts, more hotels moving in, and businesses popping up. Houston growth stagnated for part of 2016, but is on the rise again.

So while legislation such as this is awful, it seems people have a very short memory or just outright prefer the money to be made regardless. I would have expected more boycotts and people not wanting to perform here. Even if the Super Bowl couldn't pull out due to contracts (I'm guessing that is why), surely celebs and businesses could have boycotted and put strain on both the city and the NFL, reminding them that this won't stand in the future.

Again though, I hope the current legislation doesn't pass. I am just skeptical of the claims being made as it seems many people will still just follow the money in the end regardless. The few that are willing to thoroughly boycott are few and far between.
 

Ekdrm2d1

Member
Sadly, I am skeptical of this in the end.

First though, let me say I don't support the bill by any means. What makes me skeptical though is that in 2015 Houston failed to pass an equal rights ordinance that would have further protected the LGBT community from discrimination, including allowances to use the bathroom of choice based on gender. Before it failed, a lot of talk was made about the business that Houston would lose including the Super Bowl. Citizens still voted it down though and it failed to pass.

Afterward, the NFL said they were still committed to coming to the city. Granted, it isn't easy to just upend the Super Bowl where commitments have already been made. Plenty of money followed though with celebrities doing concerts, more hotels moving in, and businesses popping up. Houston growth stagnated for part of 2016, but is on the rise again.

So while legislation such as this is awful, it seems people have a very short memory or just outright prefer the money to be made regardless. I would have expected more boycotts and people not wanting to perform here. Even if the Super Bowl couldn't pull out due to contracts (I'm guessing that is why), surely celebs and businesses could have boycotted and put strain on both the city and the NFL, reminding them that this won't stand in the future.

Again though, I hope the current legislation doesn't pass. I am just skeptical of the claims being made as it seems many people will still just follow the money in the end regardless. The few that are willing to thoroughly boycott are few and far between.


The HERO bill. Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO)

Our city y'all.
 
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