Despite failing in the regular Texas legislative session, the “bathroom bill” is back yet again.
After Governor Greg Abbott vetoed a bill which would have banned hemp-derived THC products in the state, he called for a special legislative session to replace it with regulations, rather than a ban. In the leadup to the reopening of the lege, devastating floods claimed the lives of over 100 residents of Central Texas, including many children, and responding to this disaster also became a part of the agenda.
But the special session is quickly becoming a debacle. The Senate introduced a near-identical THC ban to the one that Abbott vetoed, with its sponsor claiming that it’s impossible to regulate the plant. They’re planning a massive power grab through redistricting. And, of course, the Texas Republican party can’t pass up an opportunity to oppress a vulnerable group. They’ve revived a failed bill which would ban transgender women from bathrooms and locker rooms at public places, including government buildings and schools. It would also ban trans women from women’s prisons and domestic violence shelters.
